Nine months after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a ban on the sale and consumption of country liquor in the state in April 2016, an IndiaSpend analysis of Bihar Police crime data shows that cognizable crime rose by 13 per cent from 14,279 in April to 16,153 in October 2016.
Such crimes can be investigated by police without a magistrate’s order. Notably, the ban was one of Kumar’s major poll promises made to women voters. Just a month after the ban, Kumar claimed that the crime was down by 27 per cent in the state.
But the new report indicates that every major crime including murder, rape, kidnapping, rioting has been increased in 270 days following the liquor ban.
Besides, conviction of criminals in the state had decreased by 68 per cent, from 14,311 in 2010 to 4,513 in 2015, and cognizable crimes rose 42 per cent over the same period, reported IndiaSpend in May 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his alcohol ban policy during a recent visit to Bihar.
“I greet Nitish Kumar from the core of my heart for launching a campaign against liquor. But, this work (prohibition) would not be a grand success only by efforts of Nitish Kumar or one party. All the political parties, social organisations and citizens have to participate in it to make it a ‘jan-jan ka andolan’ (people’s movement),” the PM had said.
