In the run-up to the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, The Quint looks at data to understand the number of cases and deaths related to the consumption of illicit liquor in the state.
To put matters into perspective, a liquor ban was imposed in Bihar in 2016 after the then Nitish Kumar-led coalition government came into power. Several news reports pointed to the decline of domestic violence cases following the ban.
As the state heads for the 2025 Assembly polls between October and November, opposition parties have expressed concerns about this ban ever since.
Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) promised to legalise ‘tadi,’ a local alcoholic beverage. While political analyst-turned-politician Prashant Kishore pledged to repeal the ban, advocating for regulated alcohol sales instead of blanket prohibition, he proposes using liquor tax revenues to fund quality education, alleging massive financial losses due to prohibition.
Regardless, there have been countless reports about the seizure of liquor bottles and arrests being made for this reason over the years. Reports about deaths due to the consumption of illicit or spurious liquor in Bihar have also emerged. While the ban on alcohol stopped sales, it was unable to curtail consumption.
The Quint looked at the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s data on the state-wise deaths due to the consumption of illicit liquor. We aimed to discern the number of deaths and incidents due to consumption of illicit liquor, between 2015 and 2022 (data available till 2022), despite a state-wide, much lauded ban by Bihar’s government. (The data has been provided by Dataful, by Factly.)
In Table 1, we have noted the incidents of deaths due to the consumption of spurious alcohol in Bihar. The third column shows the country-wide figure for the mentioned years.
Similarly, in Table 2, we have noted the number of incidents of illicit liquor consumption in the state. The third column shows the country-wide figure for the mentioned years.
Additionally, Bihar recorded the highest number of illicit liquor-related deaths across the country in 2022, as per NCRB data.
The Quint looked for coverage about the said number of deaths in the state for each year. However, we found that data from NCRB indicated a lower number than those quoted in several news reports.
As per an Indian Express report from 2023, an internal list of Bihar Police on spurious liquor death cases from 2016 till 2023, revealed that the year 2021 saw 64-hooch related deaths, while the NCRB noted only two.
Similarly, NCRB data noted that no deaths were reported in 2018 and 2017. However, a report by News18 Hindi noted that four individuals died in Begusarai after consuming poisonous liquor in 2018. Similarly, another Indian Express report noted that four people reportedly died after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar’s Rohtas district in 2017.
These instances point at significant differences in data provided by the central agency. With the state elections abuzz, the liquor ban and spurious liquor deaths are a major talking point amongst political parties.
Although NCRB data is only available till 2022, several lives have been claimed by spurious liquor in the officially dry state. In January 2025, seven lives were claimed allegedly due to illicit liquor consumption in Champaran, reported the Business Standard.
Similarly, in October 2024, as many as 35 people died in Siwan and Saran districts due to the same reason and 34 people were said to be dead in June 2023.
Two people died and three others lost their eyesight after the consumption of such an item in September 2023. The police also interrogated the wife and daughter of another person known for selling low-quality and adulterated alcohol, reported India Today.
As per reports from April 2025, Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, senior official of the excise department in Bihar, noted that the state recorded “190 confirmed deaths” since 2016.
(Data sourced: National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, Year and State-wise Number of Persons Died due to Consumption of Illicit/Spurious Liquor [Data set]. Dataful.
National Crime Records Bureau. Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, Year and State-wise Total Number of Cases Due to Consumption of Illicit/Spurious Liquor [Data set]. Dataful.)