PATNA(PTI): The number of murders nearly doubling, that of bank ‘loots’ (thefts) going up 30 times and vehicle thefts increasing sevenfold, the crime rate in the eastern state of Bihar has gone up considerably over the past decade, show statistics compiled by the state police.

The latest crime data available at the state police headquarters here reveals that incidents of communal riots and looting cases also registered a marginal increase.

However, the daeoities have registered a marginal fall as it often leads to encounters resulting in deaths and loss of firearms. For the same reason, cases of burglary have recorded a sharp slump while theft cases have remained more or less steady.

The data’ revealed that about 5,000 people were murdered last year against nearly 3,000 in 1983, ‘The number of such cases maintained an ascending trend throughout the decade,

Banks bore the brunt of the stepped up criminal activities in the state as over 2,500 banks were looted last year compared to only 83 bank daeoities committed in 1983.

While the number of bank daeoities was restricted to two digits in 1983 and 1984, it touched the three digit mark in the subsequent two years. Since 1987 it has crossed the 1000.

The highest number of 2,910 bank daeoities was recorded in 1990, the year when a promising Indian police service officer Randhir Verma was gunned down inside a bank in Dhanbad when he challenged the dacoits, suspected to be having links with Punjab militants.

Auto lifters too had a field day during the last decade as the number of bikes stolen rose from only 202 in 1983 to a staggering 1,342 last year.

With the introduction of 100cc motorcycles during the recent past, the vehicle snatchers found these types of two-wheelers more lucrative in view of their fuel efficiency and high pick up. Communal riots claimed as many as one thousand lives in Bhagalpur in 1989.

Though the number of such cases rose marginally during the last three years, casualties were much less.

The state remained by and large peaceful even after the Ayodhya developments of December 6 when the country was rocked by large-scale communal violence.

With a view to stemming the increase in the rate of crime, the state government has embarked on a massive modernization program to ensure better mobility, telecommunication, training, security and availability of latest forensic science laboratory equipment.

Police sources said the center had recently allotted Rs 23.3 million for the program, the main thrust of which would be on improving movement of police force in extremist infested areas of central Bihar.

Besides, latest devices for the security system would be made available to the special branch personnel; they said and added that high frequency wireless sets would be purchased for the police stations in far flung areas which were usually inaccessible by road.

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 12, 1993