The kidnapping spree is dragging the state back to the lawless 1990s, with A for abductions and B for Bihar

Bihar's new round of kidnappings has revived eerie memories of the crime wave that rendered the state the most lawless in India in the 1990s. Back then, kidnappings served as a diabolical political weapon to settle grudges and sway elections in addition to being motivated by money or personal gain.

Since crime increased concurrently with Lalu Yadav's RJD's ascendancy, the party was forever tarnished. Could Lalu's on-again, off-again buddy and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar suffer the same fate as a result of the most recent Bihar kidnapping spree?

Following are some examples of recent kidnappings in the state:

On March 19, 2023, a little girl was abducted in Gopalganj's Jogiar hamlet, which is in the Sidhwalia police station district. Three people were named in a FIR for allegedly attempting to coerce the victim into marriage.

On March 18, 2023, two people abducted a 13-year-old child who was the son of a post office employee from Adhivakta Nagar in Gopalganj. During 20 hours, the youngster was discovered in a stadium, unconscious.

A teacher's son was abducted and killed on March 16, 2023 in Bihta, Patna. By six o'clock in the evening, the youngster left the house, but he didn't come home again. Afterwards, a WhatsApp message requesting a 40 lakh rupee ransom was received by the family. The victim, a student in Class 6, was killed that day, and the burned remains of his corpse were found behind the ESIC Hospital.

The lone child of famous homoeopathic physician SP Singh was kidnapped from Kanti town in Muzaffarpur district on March 16, 2023. At a private school, the kidnappers pushed the 26-year-old into a Vehicle before escaping.

RJD leader Sunil Rai was kidnapped on March 14, 2023, outside of his workplace in Saran, Bihar. After 24 hours, Saran police in Chhapra managed to rescue him. Five kidnappers in all were detained.

The top manager of a mobile firm was taken from Patna's Danapur division on March 4, 2023. His mother Sarita Devi received a WhatsApp message from him requesting that she deposit Rs 25 lakh in his account within two days. On March 7, Patna GRP rescued the victim from Asansol.

Dr. Sanjay Kumar, director of the pharmacology division of Patna's Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), was reported missing by his family on March 1st, 2023. According to rumors, Shekhar Suman, an actor and TV personality, is linked to Kumar. The family claims he was kidnapped, but more than two weeks later, no one has found him.

On February 25, 2023, a journalist was kidnapped in broad daylight in the Sheikhpura area. Within three hours, the police were able to rescue him thanks to quick action. There were three persons detained.

February 6, 2023: Rajesh Mishra, a Muzaffarpur resident and the Madhubani District Programme Officer (DPO), vanished last month. According to sources, he left the house alone, and when he didn't come home until the evening, his family began looking for him. They went to the Ahiyapur police station to submit a report after failing to find him. A report of an abduction has been made.

Sanjay Jaiswal, the president of the Bihar BJP, said to News18 in reference to erstwhile coalition partner and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's concerns about law and order and a recent wave of kidnappings: "This phrase had gone in Bihar 17 years ago. It used to occur before to 2005. Governor Nitish Kumar is now powerless. The RJD now holds the position of power in Bihar, and the Chief Minister only serves as a rubber stamp. This has given crooks more confidence.

Even Lalu Prasad's nephew Nagendra Rai was accused of extortion by BJP Rajya Sabha Member Sushil Modi, who said that the latter arrived to a property with firearms and demanded Rs 2 crore. According to Sushil Modi, the cops took no action.

"Nitish Kumar endangered people's lives by siding with crime and corruption. The abduction industry has returned in barely seven months after the grand alliance government was established.

RJD Legislator Bhai Virendra responded by alleging that a BJP member may have been responsible for the kidnapping and death of the Class 6 youngster. "I believe that the murderer was maybe a BJP member. This information will surface throughout the inquiry.

Although acknowledging an increase in abductions, JDU MP Sunil Kumar Pintu stated the CM is managing the matter. There have, in fact, been occurrences. Yet, the Chief Minister continually pays attention and meets with top officials on a regular basis. Nitish Kumar, the chief minister, neither defends nor clears anybody.

THE HISTORY OF "JUNGLE RAJ"

The 1990s in Bihar can now only be described in two words: jungle raj. The state recorded several highway robberies, over two dozen mass killings that resulted in at least 395 fatalities, and more over 30,000 kidnappings for ransom between 1992 and 2004.

Bihar continued to deteriorate in terms of development and peace and order while other Indian states saw an economic and technical boom. Private militia-like organizations proliferated across the state, and the abduction business thrived. The state registered 18,189 killings between 2001 and 2005, according to data on the Bihar Police website.

Because of how bad things were, the term "jungle raj" was first used in a courtroom. The Patna High Court used it to characterize the scenario when Lalu Yadav's wife Rabri Devi was in power. In 2011, the High Court mentioned "jungle raj" once again.

The court had referred to Patna as "a jungle, there is no rule of law here," in reference to the way government offices operated and the proliferation of apartment buildings around the city in defiance of the law.