Bihar ex-MP Anand Mohan freed from jail, dalit outfit move Patna HC against order

Patna: Former Bihar MP Anand Mohan, serving a life sentence for the killing of Krishnaiah, was released on Tuesday morning along with 26 others who have been lodged in different prisons of the state for more than 14 years.

A notification to the effect was issued late Monday evening, when, incidentally, Mohan, who has been on parole, was celebrating the engagement of his son Chetan Anand, who is a sitting MLA of the ruling RJD in the state. 

Anand, the gangster-turned-politician  was convicted for the murder of former Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah, a Dalit IAS officer, in 1994. According to reports, Krishnaiah died after his car was attacked during the funeral procession of a gangster Chotan Shukla. Anand Mohan was part of the procession, and Muzaffarpur police had charge-sheeted him for provoking his supporters to commit the crime.

Uma Krishnaiah, the widow of slain Dalit IAS officer, urged the Bihar government to withdraw the decision claiming it would set a bad precedent and have serious implications for the entire society.

"We are not happy and feel it was a wrong decision. It shows how caste politics in Bihar influences such decisions. He is a Rajput and can help attract Rajput votes. why else would the government release a criminal? He will be given an election ticket so that he can attract Rajput votes," she said.

The order of the Bihar government has drawing ire from the Dalit community.

Amar Jyoti, the Bihar in-charge of Bhim Army's Bharat Ekta Mission, on Wednesday moved Patna High Court against the state government's order. Amar Jyoti, through his Public Interest Litigation (PIL), alleged that the Nitish Kumar government tweaked the state's jail manual to "favour criminals".

Earlier, a group representing central civil services officers expressed "deep dismay" at the Bihar government's decision to change the prison manual which  set Anand Mohan free.

In a statement, the Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association said this is "tantamount to denial of justice" and urged the state government to reconsider its decision.

"The Central IAS Association expresses its deep dismay at the decision of the state government of Bihar to release the convicts of the brutal killing of G Krishnaiah, IAS, former district magistrate of Gopalganj, by a change in classification rules of prisoners," it said

The statement asserted that a convict of the charge of murder of a public servant on duty, cannot be re-classified to a less heinous category.

Amendment of an existing classification which leads to the release of the convicted killer of a public servant on duty is tantamount to denial of justice, it said.

"Such dilution leads to impunity, erosion in morale of public servants, undermines public order and makes a mockery of administration of justice," it said.

The association urged the Bihar government to reconsider its decision at the earliest.