Crime rate down in Bihar courtesy the liquor ban, but so is state's revenue

Cases of domestic violence under Section 498A of the IPC (cruelty by the husband or his relatives) fell 37% since the liquor ban, while the crime rate - or cases per 100,000 women - fell 45%

On April 1, 2016, CM Nitish Kumar declared Bihar a dry state, following in the footsteps of Gujarat, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Lakshadweep. The CM enforced a five-year jail term even for first-time offenders before amending the rule in 2018 to introduce a fine for first-time offenders.

Though the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows a decline in cases of domestic abuse usually fuelled by alcohol consumption , prohibition has had unintended consequences: A parallel of illicit liquor trade is flourishing in Bihar, even as the state is losing out on revenue from alcohol sales. Bootleggers are selling alcohol at