Patna

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday said that the rise in recorded crimes in the state, as reflected in National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, is attributable to population growth and improved mechanisms for registering complaints, including digital platforms.

Choudhary, who also holds the Home portfolio, was responding to a query by RJD member Abdul Bari Siddiqui during the Budget Session of the Legislative Council.

Referring to recent NCRB figures, Siddiqui claimed that cognisable offences had increased from 1,15,216 in 2004 to 3,52,000, while theft cases rose from 11,518 to 22,760 and kidnapping cases from 2,566 to 3,245 over the same period.

“If this is ‘Mangal Raj’ (good governance), then ‘Jungle Raj’ was better,” Siddiqui said, in a remark alluding to the NDA’s long-standing criticism of the RJD’s tenure before 2005 as a period of lawlessness.

In reply, Choudhary said access to law enforcement has improved significantly over the years, encouraging more people to register complaints.

“People now approach police stations without fear. With platforms such as e-FIR, Zero FIR, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, complaints can also be filed online,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also cited Bihar’s population growth over the past two decades — now estimated at around 14 crore — as a contributing factor to the higher number of registered cases.

He added that a significant share of kidnapping cases pertain to elopement, marriage or minors running away from home. “Kidnapping for ransom and murder cases stand at 158, which is far lower compared to the period before 2004,” he said.

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Choudhary further stated that senior officials are closely monitoring even minor incidents and that continuous review mechanisms are in place to maintain law and order in the state.