Alleging amendments in jail manual, 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 releasing former MP and life convict Anand Mohan and 26 others.
Amar Jyoti, through his Public Interest Litigation (PIL), alleged that the Nitish Kumar government tweaked the state’s jail manual to “favour criminals”. The order of the Bihar government has drawing ire from the Dalit community.
Anand Mohan, a former gangster-turned-politician who was freed from jail on Tuesday, 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.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, too, strongly objected to the Bihar government’s move to set Anand Mohan Singh free.