Patna: The Patna High Court on April 4 expressed its dissatisfaction at the law and order situation in Bihar, saying loot, kidnapping and murder had become the order of the day with the state machinery failing to check the rising crime graph.

"Loot, murder, kidnapping and other crimes have assumed the status of an industry in the state...Newspapers should print crime related reports in red letters instead of black about the alarming crime and deteriorating law and order situation in the state," Justice R S Garg observed.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the Mukhiya of Rajsurhi panchayat in Nalanda district challenging the order of the district magistrate not transferring him the rifle and two bullets sanctioned in the name of panchayat which were submitted to the authority after the death of the former Mukhiya in 1973.

The court ordered the district magistrate to grant licence and weapon to the plaintiff within 10 days and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on the DM.

PTI