Bihar forms a dedicated force to deal with attacks on police

The force, named Vajra, will have a strength of 93-100 in each of the 38 districts in the state and will focus on preventing attacks on police personnel and apprehending the culprits.

In the last two years, Bihar has seen 576 incidents of attack on police teams.

The decision to form a dedicated force was taken after a recent meeting convened by the chief minister to review law and order. Officials said the recent attack on police personnel in Nawada, in which five policemen were injured while preventing illegal sand mining, was the trigger for the formation of Vajra. In all, 13 accused have been arrested so far in the case.

According to figures available with police headquarters, there have been 163 incidents of attack on police this year till August 2021. In 2020, there were 352 such incidents (January to December), a sharp increase from September 2019 since when police headquarters started maintaining separate records of attack on police. In the four months of 2019 from September, there were 61 incidents of attack on police.

‘There are various reasons for attack on police. Sometimes, police action on wrong information leads to public resentment. Such incidents have seen an increase since imposition of prohibition in the state. People sometimes pass on wrong information to settle personal scores and when police find nothing on the spot, they end up facing hostility. Sometimes, even with correct input, police have to face the ire if the suspect happens to wield local influence or enjoy clout. As the strength of police in rural areas is not that high, they are humiliated and attacked,’ said a senior police officer, wishing not to be named.

He said Vajra is aimed at dealing with incidents of attack on police and ensure timely assistance to the local administration.

Additional director general (law and order) Vinay Kumar said the dedicated force has been given to all the districts as per their requirement. ‘The local administration has to identify areas that saw maximum number of such incidents and use Vajra to nab culprits. Some people habitually flare up issues by orchestrating attacks on police,’ he said.

The ADG said wrong information on the call centres and delayed arrival of the force after an incident were two of the biggest reasons behind attacks on police. ‘All the SPs have been directed to work out a mechanism for using Vajra. If a policeman has been attacked at any place, persons senior to him would go there next time and ensure proper strength,’ he said.

ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said a two-day drive launched with Vajra on Wednesday has led to 504 arrests of suspects so far. ‘This includes 62 people directly involved in attacks on police and 112 on murder charges. Saran has seen the highest number of arrests (114), followed by Gopalganj (50) and Siwan (43),’ he said.

Saran superintendent of police Santosh Kumar said Vajra has a strength of 93-100 in the district. ‘The focus is on nabbing those involved with attack on the police. Besides, it also focuses on those absconding after committing a crime. The team works under the supervision of the subdivisional police officer and is well equipped with 14 vehicles and other equipment,’ he said.

Meanwhile, former general secretary of Bihar Police Association, K K Jha, said the police faced frequent attacks because they were working under very low morale. ‘Unless their morale is high, which can happen only when they command respect and they are not used by the powers that be, they can deal with difficult situations and get the support of the society,’ he said.

Vajra, a force to defend the defenders

About the force

Behind the move

Bihar has seen 576 incidents of attack on police teams since September 2019, when the police headquarters started maintaining a separate records of attack on the men and women in khaki.