How Land Mafias Operate in Bihar and the State’s Response

Bihar Police’s Special Task Force (STF) reports that 112 individuals identified as land mafias have been arrested so far this year for illegal occupation and intimidation tactics. These arrests, however, do not capture the full scale of organized groups that seize and sell the same land to multiple buyers.

Land mafias often act as intermediaries, exploiting gaps in the revenue records and leveraging muscle power to coerce original owners or prospective buyers. Their activities extend from falsifying title documents to orchestrating violent clashes that end in murder.

The STF’s crackdown signals a proactive stance, yet experts warn that without a comprehensive overhaul of land records and faster demarcation processes, the mafias will continue to find loopholes to exploit.