Indian authorities have suspended a police constable after he fired several rounds into the air from an AK-47 assault rifle while attempting to disperse student protesters in the eastern state of Bihar, the latest flashpoint in a wave of youth demonstrations that has already forced the resignation of the country's education minister.
Police have faced mounting criticism over their handling of the protests, with officers accused of using excessive force, including baton charges and tear gas, against tens of thousands of students who marched towards Parliament in New Delhi on 20 July.
Videos shared on social media by students and other witnesses, and later verified by police, showed the officer, dressed in riot gear, running towards a group of protesters in Siwan city on Saturday before pointing his rifle and firing at least three rounds into the air.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Nilesh Kumar said no one was injured in the incident.
He said the constable, who serves in an intelligence unit that normally deals with hardened criminals, had been issued the AK-47 for operational duties.
"The AK-47 was used wrongly by the constable. It cannot be justified in any way," Kumar told Reuters on Monday.
"He acted inappropriately because they were students. There was absolutely no need to use the weapon. That is why he has been suspended. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against him," he added.
The nationwide protests were initially sparked by the leak of question papers for a national medical college entrance examination held in May, which was taken by more than two million candidates and later had to be repeated.
The demonstrations have since broadened to include wider concerns over youth unemployment and growing fears that artificial intelligence could threaten jobs, particularly in India's large information technology and business process outsourcing sectors, analysts say.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's education minister resigned on Saturday over the examination paper leak scandal after nearly five weeks of sustained student protests.
The opposition Congress party condemned the police response, accusing authorities of suppressing peaceful protests.
"It is one of the gravest assaults on democracy in our history. Never before have students been beaten, dragged and treated like criminals simply for raising their voices," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told Parliament.
"In Bihar, reports indicate that an AK-47 was used against students. Those responsible cannot escape accountability," he said.
Government ministers did not respond to the allegations before proceedings in both houses of Parliament were adjourned amid uproar over the issue.
The police response has also drawn criticism from the judiciary.
"It would not be an exaggeration to say that public space for expressing dissenting opinions is shrinking in India," Supreme Court judge Ujjal Bhuyan said during a speech on Saturday, in a rare public comment by a sitting judge.
"The right to express one's views and to demonstrate peacefully are fundamental freedoms of every citizen," he added.