Bihar's encounter raj: Inside Samrat Choudhary's crackdown on criminals

Bihar has witnessed a sustained series of police encounters since Samrat Choudhary took over as Chief Minister on April 15 this year. From Patna and Bhagalpur to Siwan, Nawada, Samastipur and Gaya, the police and Special Task Force (STF) have stepped up operations against people accused of murder, robbery, extortion and other serious crimes.

Between April and November 2026, several encounters were reported across the state. While some accused were killed, others sustained bullet injuries and were arrested. The sequence of operations has become a defining feature of the Choudhary government's zero-tolerance approach towards crime.

The encounter spree began within a week of Choudhary taking oath as Chief Minister.

Here is a month-by-month account of the police action.

On April 22, police had an encounter with Dilip Yadav, an accused in a robbery case, in Patna. Four days later, Mintu Yadav, a criminal carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, was shot in an encounter in Nawada.

On April 29-30, Ramdhani Yadav, an accused in a murder case, was killed in a police encounter in Bhagalpur. Around the same time, police also had an encounter with Chhotu Yadav, an accused in the Harsh murder case, in Siwan.MAY: ENCOUNTERS REPORTED ACROSS BIHAR

The police action continued through May. In Siwan, Sonu Yadav, the prime accused in the Harsh murder case, was killed in an encounter.

On May 13, police exchanged fire with foreign national Rai alias Awadhesh and Pappu Rai in Bihta, Patna. Both sustained bullet injuries to their legs and were arrested.

On May 18, police had an encounter with Sandeep Kumar, accused of firing at a government schoolteacher, in Patna. On the same day, Ankit Kumar, an accused in a robbery case, was shot in Siwan.

The following day, Nitish Singh, an accused in a Rs 27-lakh robbery, was involved in a police encounter in Patna. On May 20, Prince Barnwal, an accused in a robbery case, was injured in Samastipur.

On May 21, encounters were reported with Pawan Rai in Kishanganj and Vikko Singh, an accused in the Deepak Sharma murder case, in Jehanabad. On May 26, Buddhan Mian, who carried a reward of Rs 50,000, was shot in Khagaria.

The encounters continued in the final days of the month. Ajay Paswan, an accused in a robbery case, was involved in a shootout in Masaurhi, Patna, on May 27. On May 30, police had an encounter with Akash Singh in Gopalganj.JUNE: BHARAT TIWARI ENCOUNTER PUTS POLICE ACTION UNDER SCRUTINY

Police encounters were reported in Patna, Gopalganj, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Bhojpur in June.

On June 13, Haider, accused of attacking the police in Masaurhi, Patna, was killed in an encounter. On June 16, police had an encounter with Kishan Kumar, an accused in an illicit liquor smuggling case, in Gopalganj. On the same day, robbery accused Sujit and Shravan were involved in an encounter in Gaya.

However, it was the June 17 encounter in Bhojpur's Bilauti village that triggered controversy. Bharat Tiwari was killed in the shootout, following which his family questioned the police action. An investigation was launched, and an STF personnel was also arrested in connection with the case.

The incident raised questions about the investigation of police encounters and accountability even as operations against accused persons continued across the state.JULY: STF AND DISTRICT POLICE CONTINUE JOINT OPERATIONS

In July, police operations in Sitamarhi and Samastipur left two accused injured. Fekan Kumar, an accused in a robbery involving a customer service point (CSP) operator, was shot in Sitamarhi. In Samastipur, Aman Kumar Sahni sustained bullet injuries during a joint operation by the STF and district police.

According to a media report published up to July 3, 21 police encounters had taken place since Choudhary became Chief Minister.advertisementAUGUST: ARMED CRIMINALS INTERCEPTED IN PATNAOn August 30, police had an encounter with criminals travelling on a boat in Bihta, Patna. According to the police, firing broke out when personnel attempted to stop the boat. Anish Kumar was injured in the exchange of fire.

The police also reported recovering a rifle, a carbine, a pistol and cartridges from the spot.OCTOBER: ENCOUNTERS RETURN TO SEVERAL DISTRICTS

After August, police encounters were again reported across several districts in October.

On October 7, an encounter took place with accused persons in the Dinesh Yadav murder case in Riga, Sitamarhi. Three accused were injured and arrested. The police said they recovered weapons and around 800 cartridges.

On October 14, notorious criminal Shubham Kumar Jha was shot in the leg during an encounter in Fatuha, Patna, and arrested.

On October 22-23, a joint team of the police and STF exchanged fire with criminals in Bhiksha village of Gaya. Ranu Singh, the prime accused in the murder of a sub-inspector's son, was injured.

On October 25, police had an encounter with Saurabh Singh, an accused in the Anjani Kumar murder case, in Bakhtiyarpur. According to the police, he opened fire during an operation to recover weapons, following which personnel retaliated and shot him.advertisementNOVEMBER: 3 CRIMINALS KILLED IN MANER ENCOUNTERThe first week of November saw another round of police action. On the night of November 1-2, Raj Nandan alias Chhotu, a fugitive accused, was shot in the leg during a police operation in Vaishali.

On November 5, an encounter took place in Sakatpur, Darbhanga, during which ASI Randhir Kumar was injured.

The most significant operation came on November 6, when three criminals were killed in a joint operation by the STF and district police in Maner, Patna. According to the police, the deceased were Raja Sharma, Bablu Kumar and Jaiprakash Yadav. All three faced several serious criminal cases, including murder, and were wanted in connection with the killing of PACS president Sanjeet Kumar alias Bholu.

The Maner police station in-charge was also injured in the encounter.

On the same day, police had another encounter in the Bahoranpur police station area of Bhojpur with Pawan Yadav, an accused in the murder of retired officer Ramkumar Singh. He was shot in the leg and arrested.STF, DISTRICT POLICE LEAD SUSTAINED CRACKDOWN

The Bihar STF and district police have continued joint operations against criminals, conducting raids, tracking accused persons and making arrests. Police officials have said that when they receive information about criminals, teams surround them and take action.

The Choudhary government has maintained its tough stance against crime, with police encounters reported across multiple districts over the past several months. However, bringing crime under control remains a major challenge for the government.- Ends

Rohit Kumar Singh is an award-winning journalist with about 23 years of experience across broadcast, print, and digital media platforms. He has been associated with the India Today Group for the last 18 years and is currently serving as Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Bihar.

Known for his sharp political understanding and strong field reporting, Rohit has established himself as a credible and influential voice in Bihar journalism. He leads a team of reporters and oversees coverage of major political, administrative, and social developments across the state.

Over the years, Rohit has extensively covered key political events, elections, governance issues, and policy developments in Bihar and Jharkhand. He has also conducted exclusive interviews with several influential political leaders and public figures across party lines.

His journalism is recognised for factual accuracy, balanced reporting, and insightful political analysis. With a strong focus on ground reporting and compelling storytelling, Rohit brings depth, context, and clarity to complex political developments.

His reporting reflects a deep understanding of Bihar's evolving political landscape, caste dynamics, and regional issues, making his work widely respected among viewers and industry peers alike.