The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Friday the plea filed by the widow of slain IAS officer G. Krishnaiah challenging the premature release of former Bihar MP Anand Mohan Singh.
As per the cause list published on the apex court website, a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta will pursue the reply filed by the Bihar government in the matter.
In its counter affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, the state government said that the amendment, which purportedly felicitated early release of gangster-turned-politician, was sought to remove the discrimination on the basis of status of a victim.
“The punishment for murder of general public or a public servant is same. On the one hand, the life convict prisoner guilty of murder of general public is considered eligible for premature release and on the other hand, the life convict prisoner guilty of murder of a public servant is not eligible for consideration for premature release. The discrimination on the basis of status of a victim was sought to be removed,” it said.
Earlier the Supreme had issued notice on the plea filed by Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of G. Krishnaiah, and directed the Bihar government to produce original records in connection with the remission granted to the former MP.
Anand Mohan Singh was released from the Saharsa jail following an amendment in Bihar’s prison rules.
The plea alleged that the Bihar government amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 with retrospective effect vide amendment dated April 10, 2023, in order to ensure that the convict, Anand Mohan, be granted the benefit of remission.
In 1994, Krishnaiah, then District Magistrate of Gopalganj, was beaten to death by a mob when his vehicle tried to overtake the funeral procession of gangster Chhotan Shukla. The mob was instigated by Anand Mohan Singh.