Torching Dalit homes is a recurring crime in Bihar

• An alleged land mafia in Nawada district, Bihar, attacked and set fire to a Dalit hamlet and over 30 houses, all belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC).
• The fire destroyed utensils, clothes, cots, grains, and farm animals of the majority of the households.
• The government has provided food and temporary shelter for the victims.
• Between 2017 and 2022, over 35% of all arson cases across India involving SCs occurred in Bihar, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Bihar recorded the highest number of arson cases in 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018, surpassing the state with the second-highest number.
• The number of police cases pending investigation increased from around 3,900 in 2017 to 6,900 in 2022.
• Over 99% of cases disposed of by the police are pending at the end of the year, with only 1% of trials being completed.
• An increasing share of cases for which trials were completed each year are resulting in convictions, but the absolute number of accused getting convicted is a minuscule minority.