Bihar sees sharp fall in murder, dacoity, riot cases, says home department
Patna: Bihar has recorded a significant decline in major criminal cases such as murder, dacoity and rioting compared to the previous year, according to officials from the state home department. The improvement has been attributed to more effective policing and swift action against offenders.
Speaking to reporters, Home Department Secretary Pranav Kumar said that murder cases have dropped by 10.1 per cent, dacoity cases by 31.32 per cent, and rioting cases by 18.97 per cent year-on-year. He asserted that prompt and decisive police action contributed to the reduction in criminal incidents.
The state has also witnessed the complete elimination of Maoist violence. The number of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts, which was 22 in 2013, has now come down to zero. According to Mr. Kumar, the remaining two to three Maoists in the Bhimbandh area of Munger district surrendered this year following sustained anti-Naxal operations.
The central government has identified four districts — Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui and Lakhisarai — as 'Legacy and Thrust' districts, acknowledging the decline in Naxal violence while continuing focus on these areas.
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Vinay Kumar said that police have made over two lakh arrests by June this year, compared to 3.85 lakh arrests in the entire previous year. He expressed confidence that the number of arrests could rise by 15–20 per cent by the end of the current year.
On case disposal, the DGP said that around 4,000–5,000 additional cases are being disposed of currently. At present, approximately 3.75 lakh cases are pending in the state. He emphasised that quicker disposal would bring relief to both victims and the accused.
“Except sporadic incidents of crime, there has been a comparative improvement in law and order and crime control. Our efforts should be to ensure faster response and solve cases at the earliest,” the police chief said.
The use of forensic science has increased substantially in recent years. The DGP noted that forensic science laboratory (FSL) services, which were used in about 1,000 cases two decades ago, are now being utilised in around 20,000 cases — a twenty-fold increase.
He also pointed out that the number of murder cases, which stood at around 6,000 in 1995–96, has declined to 2,000–2,400 cases. He expressed hope that the figure would drop further in 2026.
On police strength, the DGP said that over 22,000 police constables have joined service in various districts after completing training a month ago. This has raised the state police strength to 1.21 lakh. Another 19,800 constables have joined and their training will commence from August 17.
More than 50,000 appointments have been made into the police force over the past one and a half years, accounting for 40 per cent of the force. The government has also constructed buildings for 600 police stations. Additionally, Rs 172 crore has been sanctioned for the construction and facilities of the Dial 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) building at Rajiv Nagar in the state capital.
Addressing cyber crime, the DGP acknowledged that the frequency of such incidents has increased and poses a challenge for the police. A cyber police station headed by an officer of Deputy Superintendent of Police rank is now operational in every district. Ninety per cent of these officers hold degrees in B.Tech or B.E. in IT, Computer or Electronics. A separate cyber unit has been functioning since 2023.
Bihar has registered the highest number of cyber crime FIRs — about 7,000 — in the country. The DGP said tackling cyber crime and digital fraud remains a priority for the state police.
