A protest over the death of a five-year-old boy in a road accident escalated in Samastipur after a video purportedly showed a police officer pointing a rifle at villagers, while the police denied that the weapon was an AK-47 and said an inquiry was under way.
The incident took place on Wednesday in Devra Singhiahi village under Khanpur police station. The child, identified as Anshu Kumar, was playing outside his house when he was hit by a motorcycle. The rider allegedly fled the spot after the collision.
Angry villagers later blocked the Samastipur-Khanpur main road with bamboo barricades, demanding the arrest of the motorcycle rider. Some of the barricades were allegedly set on fire during the protest. Villagers claimed that the motorcycle was being driven by the son of the village mukhiya.
During a confrontation between the protesters and police, a video circulated on Thursday that purportedly showed a police officer aiming a rifle at the crowd. No shot was fired, according to the report. The video’s circulation brought the conduct of the police response into focus as the road blockade developed into a broader confrontation.
Samastipur Sadar SDPO-2 Sanjay Kumar said the police team had reached the village after receiving information about the blockade. He alleged that police personnel were attacked and that protesters pelted stones at the team and damaged a police vehicle. The police were identifying those involved for possible legal action, he said.
Kumar, however, denied that the weapon visible in the video was an AK-47. The police position on the weapon differs from the allegation made in connection with the circulating footage. The report did not provide details of the rifle’s model or identify the officer seen in the video.
The episode has left two parallel issues before the authorities: the investigation into the child’s death and the handling of the protest on a road used by local residents. The immediate police response, the identity of the motorcycle rider and the circumstances surrounding the weapon shown in the video remain part of the inquiry. No further official details on arrests or the investigation timeline were provided in the report.
