Bihar Revises Covid Deaths By 72% To More Than 9,000, Sets Off New Row

New figures after the three-week audit imply that while 1,600 people died of Covid in Bihar between March 2020 and 2021, the number of deaths from April to June 7 this year was a staggering 7,775, about six times more.

Bihar's massive revision in its Covid deaths figure to over 9,000 has become controversial with the 72 per cent jump raising more questions. The Nitish Kumar government on Wednesday reported that the number of deaths across the state in the pandemic was 9,429, a dramatic spike that also impacts the Centre's daily Covid death figures. The Patna High Court had asked for an audit of casualties in the April-May second surge of Covid amid allegations that the Bihar government was hiding the scale of infections and deaths in the state. New figures after the three-week audit imply that while 1,600 people died of Covid in Bihar between March 2020 and 2021, the number of deaths from April to June 7 this year was a staggering 7,775, about six times more.