Patna, June 26 (IANS) Amid the continuing controversy surrounding the death of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari in an alleged police encounter, residents of Bilauti village in Bihar’s Bhojpur district on Friday begun efforts to preserve his memory by associating his name with a newly developing settlement in the area.

Local residents and supporters have installed a large signboard at the site where Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was killed in an encounter on June 17.

The board carries the message, “Your sacrifice will always be remembered”, alongside his photograph and the date of his death.

The signboard also states that the proposed settlement has been named Shaheed Bharat Nagar Javainya.

According to local residents, nearly 74 housing units have been allotted in Bilauti for families displaced from Javainya village.

Community members and social activists have proposed that the settlement be officially named Bharat Nagar in memory of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari.

Residents said that Bharat Bhushan Tiwari had actively raised local issues and supported villagers in matters related to land and rehabilitation.

Several locals have appealed to the Bihar government to formally recognise the name and address the issues that Bharat Bhushan Tiwari had allegedly raised during his lifetime.

The signboard installed at the site mentions the involvement of the Yuva Parivartan Foundation in Shahpur.

However, the naming initiative is currently a local effort.

No official notification or government approval has yet been issued regarding the proposed name of the settlement.

Bharat Bhushan Tiwari was killed in an encounter in Bilauti village under the Shahpur police station area on June 17.

Police officials have said that officers opened fire in self-defence after Bharat Bhushan Tiwari allegedly fired at them.

His family, however, has alleged that he had already discarded his weapon before being shot.

The encounter has generated significant public and political attention.

A judicial inquiry led by retired Patna High Court judge Vinod Kumar Sinha is currently examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The family has continued to demand action against the police personnel involved and has sought an independent investigation into the case.

–IANS

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