The scenes witnessed in Bihar’s Siwan district on July 25 should shock the conscience of every Indian who values democracy and the rule of law. A viral video showed a Bihar Police constable firing an AK-47 assault rifle during a student protest against recurring examination scandals.

This was not a counter-insurgency operation. It was a protest by young people demanding fairness in public examinations and accountability from those responsible for repeated question-paper leaks.

The Bihar government responded by suspending the constable and ordering a departmental inquiry. Suspension, however, cannot be the end of the matter.

An AK-47 is not a weapon ordinarily entrusted to a policeman for crowd control. It is issued for dealing with terrorists and heavily armed........

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