A murder almost every two hours and eight kidnappings and two rapes a day -- the crime scenario in Bihar was alarming in 2004 even by the state's own exalted standards.
Of the 1,15,216 cognizable offences recorded between January and December 2004, 3861 were of murder, 1297 of dacoities, 9199 of riots, 2977 kidnappings, 1063 rapes, 2162 robberies on the road and dacoities and 57 of bank dacoities and robberies, an official report said.
The police-public ratio in Bihar in 2004 stood at 0.65 per 1000 people -- one of the lowest in the country, state police
headquarters sources said.
According to the available data, there are 9.74 policemen per 10,000 people in West Bengal, 10.38 in Orissa, 10.56 in
Uttar Pradesh, 12.16 in Madhya Pradesh and 13.59 in Rajasthan.
The Bihar police recently submitted before the Patna high court that approximately 20,000 individuals, including politicians, present and former bureaucrats and people from other walks of life, have been provided police house guards or bodyguards or both.
At least 20,000 personnel of the force, if not more, are engaged in providing security to individuals.
The court asked state police chief Narayan Mishra to withdraw the guards provided to absconding politicians and undertake a review of all individuals provided with security.
On April 12, the court instructed the department to furnish details by April 19 of all
An HC Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nagendra Rai and Justice S N Hussain, while hearing a PIL by the Indian
Medical Association seeking protection from kidnappers and extortionists, asked the department to provide details of recovery of dues from former bureaucrats enjoying police protection.
The police manual provides for hiring of security guard by individuals for Rs 8,000 per month.
"Having an armed policeman accompanying you has become a status symbol. Even petty politicians with no threat to their lives have managed to get security guards by using their political clout," a senior police officer said.
DGP Mishra, however, declined to answer whether deployment of a fairly large number of policemen to undeserving politicians and individuals had adversely affected policing and investigative activities.
Former DGP R R Prasad admitted "normal policing and investigation work have been badly hit with politicians, big and small, and undeserving individuals, including ordinary contractors, going about with police escort."
An IG rank official, who did not want to be named, said the police force has been facing an acute shortage of sub-inspectors and constables as no fresh appointments have been made after 1994.
The situation is likely to improve with the proposed appointment of 1510 sub-inspectors and nearly 11,000 constables, he added.
