Properties Acquired Through Illegal Means Will Be Attached Within 10 Days of FIR: Bihar DGP

Patna: Bihar's new DGP Vinay Kumar on Saturday said properties acquired through illegal means by accused persons will be attached within 10 days of the registration of FIR against them.

Speaking to reporters after assuming office, Kumar said prevention of crime and maintenance of peace should be the priorities of the state's police force.

"Officers should live up to people's expectations. The state police will make strenuous efforts and curb the activities of criminals. The new law includes provisions to attach the property of criminals. Properties acquired through illegal means by named accused and criminals will be attached within 10 days of the registration of FIR," he said.

Kumar, a 1991-batch IPS officer, was appointed the new DGP on Friday. In his last assignment, he was the director general of the Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation (BPBCC).

He replaced Alok Raj, a 1989-batch IPS officer, who was transferred to BPBCC.

"Section 107 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which was implemented across India on July 1, 2024, mandates that if the investigation officer has credible evidence that a property was acquired through criminal activities or offences, they can be attached as per the set procedure," he said.

The DGP asked officers to ensure coordinated efforts to bring improvements in the functioning of the force.

"Prevention of crime should be the top priority of the force. For this, officers should go out in the field and brief the force on how to handle criminals. Policemen should take strict action against criminals while having sympathy for common people," he said.

Kumar said the relationship between the police and the public must be better.

"People's cooperation is mandatory to get the desired results in our fight against crime. We have to live up to their expectations," he said.

"The Bihar Police has done tremendous jobs in the recent past -- from dealing with cases pertaining to violation of prohibition laws, crime against women, cyber fraud, to cases of special nature such as those related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and paper leaks," he added.

Kumar said the state police were creating a lot of women-specific infrastructure within the force, but still, a lot needed to be done.

"As far as gender-based violence is concerned, I must say that even after specific training on several subjects, our officers and force are not well disposed to the problems. They need specialised training," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)