Patna: A major crackdown on organized crime in Bihar has prompted many criminals to flee the state, according to Kundan Krishnan, Additional Director General of Police, Operations. Since January, the Special Task Force of Bihar Police has arrested 64 notorious criminals in 17 states with the support of local law enforcement.
Kundan reported that Delhi saw the highest number of arrests at 14, followed by West Bengal with nine, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat with seven each, and Jharkhand with six. Smaller numbers were reported from Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, and Manipur. In August alone, 11 criminals were arrested outside Bihar.
The police have also intensified efforts to seize property acquired through criminal activities. A proposal has been sent to confiscate the property of the brother of MLA Ritlal Yadav, which may be escalated to the Economic Offenses Unit and the Enforcement Directorate.
Kundan highlighted that 857 criminals have been arrested in Bihar this year, surpassing last year’s figure of 752. Police encounters have risen to 23 this year, compared with eight in 2024. Law enforcement has also recovered 12,176 cartridges and 32 regular weapons so far in 2025, up from 3,681 cartridges and 19 weapons last year.
The crackdown is part of a broader initiative targeting organized crime and reducing Naxalite activity, which has seen arrests of 101 Naxalites this year, compared with 44 in 2024. The National Investigation Agency is investigating the supply and trade of illegal weapons and ammunition to further dismantle criminal networks.
Kundan stressed that no specific order has been given to launch a so-called “Operation Lagada” and that police respond with force only when fired upon by criminals.
