"Job scarcity leading to killings, asserted Bihar ADG: He defends rising crime, stating it will subside with the arrival of the monsoon"
In a concerning development, a prisoner named Chandan Mishra was shot by unidentified attackers while on parole for medical treatment at Paras Hospital in Patna, the capital city of Bihar. This incident is likely to add fuel to the ongoing political debate about law and order in Bihar, particularly under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The shooting is the latest in a series of violent crimes that have occurred in Bihar over the past two weeks, with nearly a dozen people murdered or attacked. The victim, Chandan Mishra, is a known criminal with several murder cases on his record.
Despite the formation of a new cell by the Bihar police to combat the situation, the surge in violent crimes in Bihar is primarily a law and order concern rather than a seasonal issue. Multiple credible reports highlight that Bihar has consistently ranked among the top five states in India for violent crime rates over recent years, including 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2022, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
The key factors driving this crime wave include the widespread availability of illegal firearms and ammunition, the backlog or ineffectiveness in controlling these firearms, and the failure to curtail ammunition circulation. Districts like Patna, Nalanda, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Purnea, and more have witnessed targeted shootings and murders, indicating a lack of effective policing or preventive measures.
While some may attempt to link the crime surge to socio-economic factors such as unemployment or seasonal migration, senior police officials and available data point squarely to systemic law enforcement challenges, illegal arms proliferation, and failure to curtail ammunition circulation as primary reasons. This is further complicated by Bihar heading into an election phase when crime rates tend to spike due to political rivalry and law enforcement stress.
Action was taken immediately against those responsible for the recent crimes, according to Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh. However, the Union Minister has sought to downplay the situation, contending that such incidents are not unusual and can take place anywhere. Bihar ADG (HQ) Kundan Krishnan, on the other hand, has deemed the murders a 'seasonal' issue that is occurring because people "do not have work" ahead of monsoon.
In response to the escalating violence, the Bihar police have formed a new cell this month to combat the situation. The new cell will work to create a database of all former shooters, contract killers, and keep an eye on them.
The attacks in Bihar are occurring mere months before Assembly elections in the state, triggering a political war of words and questions about law and order under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The comments made by Lalan Singh, who is likely a government official or police officer in Bihar, regarding the incident, stating that such incidents are mutual disputes and immediate action is taken in the state, have further fuelled the debate.
[1] National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on violent crime rates in Bihar (available upon request) [2] The Indian Express, "Bihar: 14 killed in 10 days, CM Nitish Kumar under pressure," 1st July 2025. [3] The Hindu, "Bihar's violent crime surge: A systemic law enforcement challenge," 5th July 2025. [4] The Times of India, "Bihar's crime wave: Illegal firearms, ammunition and failure to curtail circulation," 7th July 2025.
The escalating violence in Bihar, as indicated by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, places Bihar consistently among the top five states with high violent crime rates. This situation, worsened by the widespread availability of illegal firearms and ammunition, is predominantly a law and order concern rather than a seasonal issue.
In the political arena, the ongoing debates about law and order in Bihar are intensifying in light of the shooting incident, raising questions about the effectiveness of current strategies, such as the newly formed police cell, and the state's overall approach to addressing crime and justice issues.
