The Patna High Court today slammed the Bihar government on the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and directed the Rabri Devi administration to submit a report within seven days detailing steps being taken to prevent incidents of kidnapping and extortion. A division bench headed by Chief Justice R.S. Dhawan issued notices to the chief secretary, home secretary and the DGP. ‘‘Bihar is burning. The people are reeling under the threat of extortion and kidnapping for ransom by gangsters and the government is yet to implement its decision to punish police officials found wanting in keeping a check on these heinous crimes,’’ the bench said while hearing a PIL filed by Bihar Traders’ Association.Meanwhile, five people kidnapped in the state in widely reported incidents in recent days are yet to be released and the Federation of Bank Unions struck work today. Among the five abducted are R.D. Sharma, a bank manager, and Sidhant Parmar, son of a bank employee and nephew of a state minister.Meanwhile, Opposition parties have given a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to secure the release of the kidnapped. Opposition leader Sushil Modi said they would stage a dharna in the well of the assembly on Tuesday demanding the resignation of the Rabri government if the abducted are not released. ‘‘No one is safe in the state and parents are not sending their children to school. Kidnappers are ruling the roost,’’ Modi said, raising the issue during zero hour.O.N. Bhaskar, SP (Patna), said the police were conducting raids at different places in Patna to rescue Sidhant. Police had raided the official residence of Samata Party MLA Sunil Pandey on Sunday and arrested several people. The MLA himself is in jail, arrested for allegedly abducting a doctor in 2002. However, he regularly attends the assembly, which is in session, and travels by his own private car in violation of the government assurance that the jailed legislators could come for the session only by cars provided by jail authorities. However, in the assembly today, Pandey sought to turn the tables on the government by charging it was unfairly targeting him and his family. ‘‘This government is run by criminals,’’ he accused.
