A 10-year-old girl was raped while going to school to participate in the Republic Day function and a teacher was shot at and seriously injured while returning from the flag hoisting ceremony at his school in two separate incidents in Bihar on Sunday.

As Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan asserted in his Republic Day speech that the rule of law was prevalent in the state and maintained that it was the top priority of the government, the brutal irony of these two crimes was even more apparent.

Several other incidents of theft, robbery and murder were also reported from different parts of Bihar as the government and the administration officials focused on celebrating Republic Day in their respective institutions.

The Class V schoolgirl was raped in a locality of the state's Bhojpur district when she was on her way to school to participate in the flag hoisting function. She was forcibly taken by the accused to his house. Local people took to the streets in anger after coming to know about it.

Police sent the child to the district hospital at Ara for her medical examination and arrested the 50-year-old accused.

In the other incident, Yogendra Prasad, a teacher at Champar government primary school under Bahoranpur police station limits, Bhojpur, was shot at and injured by motorcycle-borne assailants when he returning home after participating in the Republic Day function.

The incident occurred near a river embankment in the area. Residents rushed him to a hospital. He is reportedly battling for his life.

On the other hand, Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan participated in his first Republic Day function in the state after being transferred here from Kerala. He asserted that the focus of the government was on the rule of law.

"The rule of law is established in the state and maintaining it is the topmost priority of the state government,” Khan said in his speech at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

"The government is working on all aspects of crime control and maintaining law and order in a planned way. The number of police personnel has been increased to improve it. All outposts have been converted into police stations. Vehicles and other necessary resources have been provided to the police,” Khan added.

Khan pointed out that the emergency dial service ‘112’ had benefited over 20 lakh people so far.

The governor added that social amity and communal harmony were prevalent in the state. The police and administration take immediate action whenever any incident of communal tension comes to light, he said.

Highlighting various development initiatives and welfare activities of the state government, Khan revealed that Bihar's special focus was on providing employment to its youths.

The governor also said that the fourth agriculture roadmap was being implemented in the state and an expenditure of ₹1.62 lakh crore had been approved for integrated development of the farm sector.