Bihar has witnessed a sharp rise in crimes over the past decade despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's earlier success in controlling lawlessness. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau and the State Crime Records Bureau reveal that overall crimes in Bihar increased by 80.2 per cent from 2015 to 2024. Opposition leaders, including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav and even NDA ally Chirag Paswan, have criticised the state's deteriorating law and order situation ahead of the Assembly elections. While Bihar's crime rate per lakh population remains below the national average, the state consistently records a higher-than-average incidence of violent crimes. Murder and attempted murder cases have remained a persistent problem, with Bihar ranking second in the country for murders and attempted murders almost every year. Property disputes and personal vendettas are the leading motives behind these killings.
Crime Trends and Violent Crime Concerns in Bihar
From 2015 to 2024, Bihar saw crimes rise every year except in 2016, 2020, and 2024. The steepest increase was in 2017, with a 24.4 per cent jump. In 2022, crimes surged by 23.3 per cent to 3.48 lakh cases. By 2023, crimes reached 3.54 lakh, while 2024 saw a marginal drop to 3.52 lakh. Nationally, crimes increased by 32.5 per cent from 2015 to 2023. Bihar's crime rate per lakh population was 277.5 in 2023, well below the national average of 448. However, violent crimes like murder and attempted murder remained significantly higher than the national average, highlighting persistent law and order challenges.
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