Patna: Amid mounting concern over a series of crimes in Bihar, food and consumer protection minister Ashok Choudhary on Thursday said criminal incidents were not specific to the state and also occurred in developed countries such as the US and Japan. His daughter and LJP(RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary, meanwhile, called for a review of laws concerning women’s safety following the public harassment of a minor girl in her Samastipur constituency.Asked whether the govt had lost its ‘iqbal (authority, awe, prestige, commanding influence)’, Ashok told reporters, “Where in the world the criminal incidents don’t happen? It occurs even in the developed countries, like the US and Japan, and it is not specific just to Bihar. There is no head of a state who will say that crimes do not take place in his or her country, but Bihar govt administration has responded quickly to handle the situation in all cases.”He said the govt had not lost its “iqbal” and had responded swiftly to the Jamui and Samastipur incidents. “Whosoever be the person involved in the crime, the administration has always responded swiftly and will take action against anyone involved,” Ashok said.Shambhavi described the Samastipur incident as “highly condemnable and unfortunate”. She called for reviewing laws concerning women’s safety and praised state govt’s zero-tolerance approach to crime.Later in the evening, Shambhavi met CM Samrat Choudhary to discuss measures to ensure the safety of women and girls in the state, along with speedy justice and effective prosecution in cases of crimes against them.
