7 Murders In 10 Days: Ahead Of Bihar Polls, Spotlight On Rising Crime

Gopal Khemka. Ajit Kumar. Ramakant Yadav. Vikram Jha. Jitendra Kumar Mahato. Sushila Devi. Surendra Kewat. Most of these names may not sound familiar. But in Bihar, these names have become central to an escalating political flashpoint ahead of polls later this year.

These are the people killed in Bihar over the last 10 days, triggering opposition questions on law and order on Nitish Kumar's watch, and "jungle raj" or lawlessness - a term used to brand the tenure of Lalu Yadav (from 1990-2005).

Bihar has become the "crime capital of India", declared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a post on X on Monday. Mr Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, cited media reports pointing to 31 murders in 11 days and the alleged "contract killing industry" in the state.

"Bihar has become the 'crime capital of India' -- fear in every alley, unease in every home! Unemployed youth are being turned into killers by 'GuNDA raj'," said Mr Gandhi.

Nitish Kumar's Deputy Vijay Kumar Sinha today said his government is taking strict action to prevent criminal activities.

"We have said before that the government is taking action on every incident, and strict measures are being taken to prevent criminal activities," the Deputy Chief Minister told news agency ANI.

In contrast, the second Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, said "it is a bit difficult" for the government to stop murders that, according to him, stemmed from personal disputes rather than any organised crime in the state.

"There is good governance in Bihar, there is no organised crime. If a murder is taking place due to some personal dispute, then it is a bit difficult for the government to stop it. But no organised crime will be allowed to take place in Bihar. This is clear," he told ANI on Sunday.

Mr Choudhary said this on a day a lawyer was shot dead in Patna's Sultanganj area. Jitendra Mahato, 58, died of his injuries during treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Sunday.

Read | Lawyer Shot Dead In Patna, 3rd Murder In Full Public View In A Week

To add to Nitish Kumar's troubles, one of his allies in the BJP-led NDA coalition, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, slammed the killings, calling it "beyond understanding".

"How many Biharis will be murdered? It is beyond understanding what is the responsibility of Bihar Police," said the Hajipur MP, who has said several times that he may contest the state polls - a scenario that could pitch him as Nitish Kumar's rival for the top post in case of an NDA victory. Mr Paswan made the comments hours after the killing of Sushila Devi, a 60-year-old hospital worker shot dead in Nalanda on Saturday morning.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, launched a scorching attack on Nitish Kumar over the weekend, questioning the Chief Minister's alleged "silence" on what he called the "rising crime graph of the state".

The criticism was over the murder of Vikram Jha, a trader in Patna, on Saturday.

"Businessman Vikram Jha was gunned down in Patna. DK Tax, the transfer industry and the chaotic situation of the state are the reasons for this. Why is the Chief Minister silent? Who is responsible for the hundreds of murder incidents happening in Bihar?" Mr Yadav asked.

Read | "Is This Not Jungle Raj?" Opposition On Bihar Businessman's Murder

On Sunday, Mr Yadav stepped up the attack after a lawyer was shot dead.

"And now, a BJP leader shot dead in Patna! What to say, and to whom? Is there anyone in the NDA government willing to listen to the truth or admit their mistakes?" Mr Yadav posted on X.

On July 4, prominent industrialist Gopal Khemka was gunned down outside his apartment in Patna around 11.37 pm, triggering shock and concern among the business community.

Days later, sand trader Ramakant Yadav, a trader from Patna, was shot dead.

Within a few days, Vikram Jha, owner of Trishna Mart, was gunned down in a late-night incident in the Zakariapur area in Patna.

According to the latest State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data, the state recorded 1,376 murders with an average of 229 each month between January and June, compared to 2,786 in 2024 and 2,863 in 2023.

Proliferation of firearms, which are illegally manufactured or procured without a valid licence, coupled with unchecked availability of ammunition, have contributed to the recent spurt in violent crimes, say senior police officers.

Bihar has consistently ranked among the top five states in terms of violent crimes, including those involving firearms, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures. The state has held the second position in violent crime rate in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022, NCRB data said.

"Land disputes and property matters are the main reasons behind most of the killings. In such cases, the role of police is limited and it starts after the crime takes place. Our force has achieved 100 per cent detection rate," Director General of Police Vinay Kumar told news agency PTI.

Another top police official said a large section of unemployed is a big factor in Bihar's law and order problems.

"A state with such a large population, having over 60 per cent population under the age of 30 and unemployed, is bound to be vulnerable to law and order problems," Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan said.

The SCRB data further shows Patna as the leading district in Arms Act cases, averaging 321.7 cases annually, followed by Begusarai (167.7), Muzaffarpur (158.3), Nalanda (117.9), and Vaishali (117.8).

A correlation between arms Act cases and violent crimes shows Patna again topping the list, averaging 82 violent incidents annually, followed by Motihari (49.53), Saran (44.08), Gaya (43.50), Muzaffarpur (39.93), and Vaishali (37.90).

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