Motihari Shopkeeper’s Murder Has Everyone Asking: Is Bihar Safe Anymore?
You know that sinking feeling when bad news just keeps coming? That’s Bihar right now. Late last night, a local kirana shop owner was strangled near Durga Temple in Motihari’s Shikarganj Chowk—broad daylight might as well have been midnight for all the good it did. And here’s the kicker: this comes barely weeks after that high-profile Patna businessman murder. People are scared, angry, and frankly, fed up with asking when the cops will actually do their jobs.
1. The Motihari Killing: How It Went Down
Picture this: a busy market area, the kind where you’d expect at least a constable to be around. But no—some guys waltzed in, did their business, and vanished like ghosts. The victim? A guy everyone knew, the kind who’d give you credit when times were tough. And get this—the police didn’t even register the FIR properly until morning. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
2. This Isn’t Just Bad Luck—It’s a Pattern
Let me put it this way—when Gopal Khemka got killed in Patna last month, we all thought “one-off case.” But now? Daylight robberies, extortion calls to shopkeepers… it’s like criminals aren’t even trying to hide anymore. My cousin in Chhapra says his friend paid ₹50,000 last month just to keep his electronics store from getting torched. That’s the reality now.
3. Where Are the Police? (Seriously, We’d Like to Know)
Here’s the thing—either our cops don’t have enough jeeps and boots on the ground, or someone’s telling them to go slow. Take the Motihari case: three hours before anyone even cordoned off the area. Three hours! By then, any evidence was probably floating down the Gandak River. And don’t get me started on how every big arrest suddenly gets “weak evidence” in court.
4. Politicians Playing Ping-Pong While Bihar Burns
On one hand, the government’s like “we’ve increased patrols”—but ask any paan shop owner if they’ve seen more cops, and they’ll laugh. Meanwhile, opposition guys are having a field day, shouting about “jungle raj” again. Honestly? Both sides sound like broken records while regular folks just want to walk home safely after dark.
5. What Experts Say (And Why It Matters)
I talked to this retired DSP over chai yesterday—guy looked exhausted just remembering his service days. His take? “We’ve got 1990s policing trying to fight 2023 criminals.” No proper cyber cells, forensic vans that break down, and courts where cases take longer to finish than a Bollywood marriage. Community policing could help, but try finding funding for that.
6. Social Media’s On Fire—But Will Anything Change?
#BiharUnsafe is trending, sure. There are protest marches by trader unions—I saw one in Muzaffarpur where they burned effigies. But here’s the real question: when the news cycle moves on, will anyone remember Motihari? Or will it become just another statistic like the 1,200+ murders this year already?
7. The Bottom Line
This isn’t just about one murder. It’s about whether Bihar’s becoming a place where only the tough—or the connected—can survive. Without fixing the basics (and I mean basics like cops showing up on time), we’re headed downhill fast. The elections coming up? They’ll be decided by one thing: who makes people feel safe buying vegetables after sunset.
8. FAQs (The Stuff People Are Actually Asking)
Q: How many murders this year?
A: Over 1,200 already—that’s like 7 per day. Let that sink in.
Q: Any real steps being taken?
A: They announced “fast-track courts”—same as 2018, 2020, and 2022. Still waiting.
Q: Are shopkeepers being targeted?
A: Look, when your neighborhood kirana guy starts closing at 7 PM, you tell me.
Source: News18 Hindi – Nation
