The state of Bihar witnessed an unprecedented surge in registered corruption cases during 2025, reaching a record high not seen in the past quarter-century. Official data reveals a sharp intensification in legal action against graft.
Record Numbers and the Bribery Epidemic
According to the Bihar Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB), the year 2025 saw 122 First Information Reports (FIRs) related to corruption. This figure is alarmingly close to being double the long-term annual average of approximately 73 cases observed over the past 25 years. The previous seven-year period (2018-2024) had seen a much lower average of about 50 FIRs per year.
The driving force behind this spike was a dramatic increase in bribery cases. A staggering 101 out of the 122 FIRs, accounting for 81% of the total, pertained to bribery. This number is more than twice the 25-year average for bribery cases and nearly triple the average from the 2018-2024 period.
In trap operations conducted by the bureau, 107 individuals were arrested, including seven women and six non-government employees. The VIB successfully recovered Rs 37.80 lakh in bribe money, with the single largest recovery being Rs 3 lakh.
Rise in Asset Cases and Conviction Rates
Alongside bribery, cases involving the accumulation of disproportionate assets (DA) also saw a significant jump. The VIB registered 15 DA cases in 2025, which is twice the 25-year average. These cases involved alleged ill-gotten assets worth Rs 12.77 crore. The most prominent case involved a former executive engineer of the building construction department, accused of holding disproportionate assets valued at Rs 2.17 crore.
There was a positive development on the judicial front as well. Convictions in corruption cases rose sharply, with 29 judgments delivered in 2025, compared to 18 in the previous year. This is a substantial increase from the seven-year annual average of just six convictions. However, the bureau highlighted a major systemic hurdle: the average time taken to dispose of a corruption case remains a protracted 13 years, indicating severe pendency in the courts.
Strategic Response and Future Action
In response to the rising caseload and to expedite justice, the Vigilance Investigation Bureau has announced a multi-pronged strategy for 2026. Director General Jitendra Singh Gangwar outlined plans to create two specialized cells. The first cell will oversee the entire legal process, from filing charge sheets to facilitating fast-track hearings. The second cell will focus on obtaining mandatory sanctions from government departments to prosecute accused public servants.
"Additionally, the bureau will also make an advanced technology wing to make the investigations more efficient and to better track the corrupt practices," Gangwar stated. The bureau is also actively pursuing asset confiscation under the Bihar Special Courts Act, 2009, with proceedings underway in 232 corruption cases as of December 30, 2025.
This crackdown unfolded in a year that saw elections for Bihar's 243-member legislative assembly, underscoring a heightened focus on governance and accountability. The data signals both a more aggressive stance against corruption and the enduring scale of the challenge within the state.
