Serious violent crime dips to 25-year low in Bihar, 80 pc drop in incidents of dacoity

Bihar women police personnel rehearse for the Republic Day parade, at Gandhi Maidan, in Patna, Sunday. (PTI Photo)

• Murder, dacoity, and rioting in Bihar hit 25-year lows in 2025
• Rise in theft, burglary, and cybercrime drove up overall cognisable crime
• Police intensified enforcement, seized arms, and curbed Naxal activity in 2025

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Serious violent crimes such as murder, dacoity and rioting fell to their lowest levels in more than two decades in Bihar in 2025, even as a rise in theft, burglary and cyber-related offences drove up overall cognisable crime, The Indian Express reported citing an analysis of official police data.

Figures compiled from crime records between 2001 and 2025, the latest of which were presented by Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar last week, indicate a sustained decline in offences that once defined the state's "Jungle Raj" image, particularly during the early 2000s and mid-2010s.

Murder cases, which stood at 3,619 in 2001, remained above the 3,000 mark for a decade between 2005 and 2015. The trend began to reverse after 2016, with cases falling to 2,581 that year. Despite brief spikes in 2019 and 2020, the downward trajectory continued, reaching 2,556 cases in 2025, the lowest level recorded in the past 25 years.

Dacoity showed one of the sharpest long-term declines. From more than 1,200 cases annually in the early 2000s, including a peak of 1,297 cases in 2004, the number steadily dropped to 426 by 2015 and further to 174 in 2025, marking an over 80 per cent reduction across two-and-a-half decades.

Robbery, though more volatile, also reflected a long-term decline. After peaking at 2,909 cases in 2004, robberies fell to 1,266 in 2012. While the numbers fluctuated in later years, including during the pandemic period, cases declined again to 1,558 in 2025, nearly half the 2004 level.

Riot-related cases registered the most dramatic fall. From 8,520 cases in 2001, riots surged through the 2000s and early 2010s, peaking at 13,566 in 2014. Since then, numbers have dropped sharply, falling to 7,262 in 2019 and further to 2,502 in 2025, the lowest since 2001.

Rape cases, however, have followed a different trajectory. From 746 cases in 2000, the figure rose steadily to a peak of 2,205 in 2024. While 2025 saw a marginal dip to 2,025 cases, the numbers remain significantly higher than two decades ago.

Despite the marked fall in several categories of violent crime, total cognisable crime in Bihar has continued to rise. Data from 2001 to 2024 suggests that this increase is largely driven by non-violent offences such as theft, burglary, cybercrime, regulatory violations and non-ransom kidnapping.

Theft has emerged as one of the largest contributors to overall crime in the past decade, with burglary following a similar upward trend, though at a smaller scale. While kidnapping cases have increased overall, many involve elopement, custody disputes or missing-person complaints that are registered under kidnapping provisions. In contrast, kidnapping for ransom has declined sharply from 385 cases in 2001 to 52 by 2024.

Criminologists and former police officials point out that improved reporting mechanisms, greater legal awareness and the expansion of online complaint systems have also contributed to higher registration of non-violent offences.

"An increase in cognisable crime does not automatically indicate a deterioration in law and order," said a former senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It often reflects better access to policing and a greater willingness to report crimes that earlier went unrecorded."

Presenting the annual crime report, DGP Vinay Kumar said Bihar recorded a decline in major offences compared to 2024, alongside intensified enforcement and preventive action. During 2025, the police recovered 4,963 illegal firearms, seized 54 licensed weapons and over 30,000 cartridges, and busted 74 illegal mini gun factories.

The police also seized explosives, counterfeit currency, large quantities of narcotics and over 22,000 vehicles. Operations by the Special Task Force and anti-Naxal units intensified, with STF encounters rising from eight in 2024 to 29 in 2025. Police arrested 134 Naxals, while six senior cadres surrendered, pushing left-wing extremist groups to what officials described as the “brink of collapse” in parts of the state.

Enforcement under prohibition laws also continued, with the recovery of more than 36 lakh litres of domestic and foreign liquor. The DGP said the crackdown resulted in zero reported deaths due to toxic alcohol in 2025.