Mokama (Bihar): A video clip of armed Bihar Police personnel out on a raid being frisked by members of the family of an alleged gangster has gone viral, resulting in the suspension of two officers.
The disciplinary action was taken by Patna SSP Kartikeya Kumar Sharma after the footage, which showed uniformed officers standing in a queue while a young boy patted them down at the entrance of a house, drew widespread outrage online. He ordered the suspension of the Station House Officers (SHOs) of Panchmahla and Hathidah police stations, as reported by The Indian Express.
The police team was conducting a raid at the residence of alleged members of the Sonu-Monu gang in Nauranga Jalalpur village under Panchmahla police station limits in the Mokama area, following a firing incident on May 24, the SSP’s office stated in a press release.
The team, led by the two SHOs, was at the premises to recover illegal arms in connection with the shooting.
A woman can be heard directing constables to stand in line and enter from a designated side, “Aap dono sipahi idhar aaiye, line mein lagiye, yahan idhar se jaiyega… (You two constables come here, stand in line, and go in from this side)”.
How many officers have been checked before being allowed in, another voice enquires. The clip shows police personnel carrying rifles waiting their turn as a youth searches them at the gate, the report noted.
According to the report, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Barh-1, who examined the footage as part of a formal inquiry, termed the conduct of the officers “extremely serious”.
There was “gross negligence” and “indiscipline”, the inquiry report observed, noting that police allowing themselves to be publicly frisked — and interacting over a phone with a wanted criminal in front of a crowd — had badly damaged the force’s image.
The inquiry also found that a woman at the residence had allegedly handed a mobile phone to one of the officers during the raid, enabling him to speak with Monu, who was absconding at the time, an official said.
It all started with Mukesh Singh, husband of a local sarpanch and PACS chairman, said to be close to JD(U) MLA Anant Singh, posted on Facebook praising police action in the area. The post stated that rule of law would now prevail and that criminal elements would be eliminated. This reportedly angered Pramod Singh, father of Sonu and Monu, setting off an argument between the two sides on Saturday evening, the report said.
Sonu then allegedly arrived with associates and one of them fired two rounds at Mukesh, who escaped unhurt, the police report said. An FIR was registered at Panchmahla police station against Sonu, Monu and others.
However, by the time the joint police team reached their residence to execute the raid, both accused had allegedly fled, the report added.
After the matter came to light, Panchmahla SHO Kundan Kumar and Hathidah SHO Ranjan Kumar were attached to the New Police Centre in Patna, where they will receive only subsistence allowance during the suspension period. Departmental proceedings have been initiated and explanations sought from both officers, the report stated.
The suspended officers were defended by Bihar rural works minister and former IPS officer Sunil Kumar though. He told reporters that police personnel are required to offer themselves for checking before a search so that those on the premises know that no incriminating item is being taken inside to be planted as fake evidence.
The accepted norm, however, is to have an independent witness during the search operation.
Kumar added that if wrongdoing had occurred, action would follow, the report noted.
The rivalry between the Sonu-Monu group and supporters of MLA Anant Singh is old. The Indian Express reported that the same village had witnessed a major exchange of fire between the rival groups in January 2025.
Raids to trace the absconding accused are continuing and further investigation into the firing case is underway, the police said.
