"Bihar AK-47 firing raises questions on police use of force during protests"
Prohibited Bore (PB) Weapon
firearms category covering high-rate-of-fire automatic weapons like AK-47; restricted to specialised units, not routine policing.
Escalation Protocol
mandatory step-by-step use-of-force ladder (verbal warning → barricading → water cannons → lathi charge → non-lethal rounds → firearms) before police may discharge a weapon.
The constitutional framework governing police conduct during protests rests on a layered architecture of fundamental rights and state power. Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to assemble peaceably and without arms, while Article 19(3) permits the state to impose reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty, public order, or decency. The Supreme Court has consistently held that such restrictions must satisfy a dual test of reasonableness and proportionality — the state cannot invoke public order as a blanket justification to suppress legitimate dissent. In Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union of India (2012), the Court affirmed citizens' fundamental right to assemble and protest in public spaces. In Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020), the proportionality doctrine was extended to all state responses, requiring that any restriction be the least restrictive means necessary to achieve a legitimate aim.
Crucially, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, meaning there is no single uniform central statute governing police use of force during protests. Each state operates under its own Police Manual, Police Regulations, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), supplemented by advisory guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) — which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure — and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) — which replaced the Indian Penal Code — provide the broader procedural and penal framework within which police action is evaluated, but neither statute explicitly names specific firearms or brands.
Automatic assault rifles such as the AK-47, INSAS, and SLR are classified as Prohibited Bore (PB) high-rate-of-fire weapons under Indian firearms regulation. They are categorised as 'Platoon and Section Arms' — meaning they are designed for deployment with formation units, not individual personnel. Under the Bihar Police Manual and analogous state manuals, these weapons are strictly restricted to specialised units: the Special Security Group (SSG) for VIP protection (Chief Minister, Governor), the Special Task Force (STF), the Special Operations Group (SOG), Anti-Naxal / Counter-Terrorism operational units, and designated counter-insurgency zones. Regular beat constables, routine bodyguards assigned to politicians, judges, or senior IAS/IPS officers are explicitly prohibited from carrying AK-47s — state directives mandate replacing automatic rifles on bodyguard duty with short-range weapons such as revolvers, pistols, and carbines. …
Which of the following statements about a Zero First Information Report (Zero FIR) under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 is/are correct?
1.A Zero FIR can be lodged at any police station, even though the place of commission of a cognizable/non-cognizable offence is outside the territorial jurisdiction of that police station.
2.The Officer-in-Charge of the police station where a Zero FIR has been lodged may, with the permission of the competent authority, initiate a preliminary enquiry.
3.Under Zero FIR, it is obligatory for the informant to furnish information electronically.
Select the answer using the code given below:
In the context of India, which one of the following is the correct relationship between Rights and Duties?
With reference to the regulation of automatic assault rifles like the AK-47 in India, consider the following statements:
1.'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.
2.The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 explicitly prohibits the use of AK-47 rifles during civilian protests.
3.AK-47 rifles are classified as Prohibited Bore (PB) weapons and are not issued to routine beat constables.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which of the following units are authorised to deploy AK-47 rifles under the Bihar Police Manual and MHA guidelines?
1.Special Security Group (SSG) for VIP protection
2.Anti-Naxal Operations (ANO) units
3.Regular bodyguards assigned to senior IAS officers
4.Special Task Force (STF)
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Consider the following sequence representing the escalation protocol for police use of force during civilian protests in India:
1.Verbal warnings and negotiation
2.Lathi charges
3.Water cannons and tear gas
4.Non-lethal riot-control rounds (rubber bullets)
5.Discharge of firearms
Which of the following represents the correct order of escalation?
With reference to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines on police firing, which of the following is/are mandated when police firing results in fatal casualties?
1.Immediate registration of an FIR
2.An independent police investigation
3.A mandatory Magisterial Inquiry
4.Suspension of the firing officer pending inquiry
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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