Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday stressed that rule of law was there in the state and will always be there. He also said crime has sharply declined in Bihar.

"There is rule of law in Bihar and it will always remain here. Any person, whomsoever he may be, holding whatever high post or status, will not be let go if he violates the law," Nitish said.

The chief minister was speaking at Bihar Police's award ceremony organised at Mithilesh Stadium on the of Bihar Military Police (BMP)-5 premises in Patna. The state is observing police week celebrations, beginning February 22.

His words came just a day after the CBI raided Aurangabad district magistrate Kanwal Tanuj in a case of alleged irregularities in payment of compensation to oustees from land acquired for NTPC and Indian Railways. Asserting that the law applied equally on everybody, Nitish said the police had the huge responsibility of enforcing the law.

But the chief minister said implementation of law cannot always be done forcibly. "Self-discipline is also a very important part of it. I've just returned from Japan and have seen the way people follow discipline there."

Nitish was on a four-day Japan tour between February 18 and 22 and met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit. He has sought Japanese assistance and investment in infrastructure, tourism and industries.

Though there was a spurt in crime in recent months, the chief minister said crime has nosedived. "Crime has taken a dip. If you see National Crime Records Bureau's state-wise data for 2016, average crime rate for the entire country was 233.6 per 1 lakh population, while for Bihar it was just 157.4," Nitish said.