The Bihar state government’s law department on Monday issued the order paving the way for the release of former MP Anand Mohan and 26 others, who have served 14 years of a life sentence in connection with the murder and other heinous crimes. This came ten days after the Bihar government amended the Bihar Police Jail Manuals, 2012, removing some words from a clause regarding life sentences.
Bihar govt issues notification regarding the release of 27 prisoners including Former Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan Singh from jail.
— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2023
He was convicted in the 1994 murder of Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah.
The State Sentence Remission Council’s approval of the release of all 27 inmates, who were housed in separate jails around the state, served as the basis for the state law department’s order. Anand Mohan, who was most recently incarcerated at Saharsa Prison, was on parole so that he could attend an engagement ceremony for his son.
Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav could also be seen attending the engagement function of jailed Anand Mohan Singh’s son and RJD MLA Chetan Anand. Reportedly, this is the third time in the last six months that Anand Mohan has been allowed release on parole.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav attended the engagement function of jailed Former MP Anand Mohan Singh's son and RJD MLA Chetan Anand.
— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2023
Earlier today, Bihar govt issued notification regarding the release of 27 prisoners including Former Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan… pic.twitter.com/r7zHb5TSHn
In 2007, Mohan, 69, was found guilty of killing Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah in 1994. He was found guilty of instigating a crowd that was leading a protest march after the murder of bodybuilder Chhotan Shukla. When Krishnaiah accidentally crossed the protest march’s path, the crowd lynched him.
Because of the heinous nature of the crimes they had committed, 14-year-old prisoners were not recognized as having served a life sentence before the 2012 change to the Bihar Police Jail Manuals. To qualify as having served a life sentence, these criminals had to serve at least 20 years in prison.
“The state government has decided to set free those who have completed 14 years of their sentence on the recommendation the State Sentence Remission Council made its meeting on 20 April,” said Bihar Law Department Secretary Ramesh Chandra Malviya in his order on April 24.
However, the law department directive makes no further mention of any more precise justifications for its decision. Reports further mention that Anand Mohan has not been subjected to this condition in the law department’s decision, unlike others of the 27 criminals who are being freed who have been requested to record their regular attendance with the local police.
Merely five words—”a civil servant on duty”—were removed from Rule No. 481 (1) (a) of the Bihar Police Jail Manuals on April 10 this year by the state home department, which later made it easier for Mohan and others to be released.
Rule 481(i)(a) of the manual says: “Every convicted prisoner, whether male or female, undergoing sentence of life imprisonment and covered by the provisions of Section 433A CrPC, shall be eligible to be considered for premature release only after undergoing imprisonment for 20 years, including remissions:
a) Convicts who have been imprisoned for life for murder in heinous cases, such as murder with rape, murder with dacoity, murder involving an offence under the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955, murder for dowry, murder of a child below 14 years of age, multiple murders, murder committed after a conviction while inside the prison, murder during parole, murder in a terrorist incident, murder in the smuggling operation, murder of a public servant on duty.”
The home department states that the decision has been taken to free the 27 prisoners considering their age which is between 75 to 93. “On the lower age group side, there are also convicts from the mid-20s to 50s age group. The idea to set them free was because of poor health conditions of the aged prisoners and also to give a second chance to the younger lot”, the department official was quoted.
The other prisoners who are to be released by the Bihar government include
Dasgir Khan (75),
Pappu Singh alias Rajiv Ranjan Singh (43),
Ashok Yadav (46),
Rajballabh Yadav alias Bijli Yadav (82),
Shivji Yadav (420),
Kirath Yadav (65),
Collector Paswan (40),
Kishundev Rai (65),
Surendra Sharma (68),
Devnandan Nonia (49),
Rampravesh Singh (69),
Vijay Singh (59),
Ramadhar Ram (50),
Patiram Ram (93),
Hridaynarayan Sharma (55),
Manoj Prasad (67),
Panchadand Paswan (43),
Jitendar Singh (78),
Bindeshwari Yadav (83),
Khelawan Yadav (85),
Allauddin Ansari (42),
Mohammed Khudbuddin (36),
Sikandar Mahto (44) and
Awadhesh Mandal (42).
OpIndia tried to dig into all these individual cases but very nominal information about the crimes of these prisoners seems to be available on the web. However, all these accused were arrested for alleged heinous crimes. Bihar’s former MLA Surendra Sharma was arrested for attempting to murder his daughter over her inter-caste marriage. He had given a contract of her murder to contract killer Abhishek Singh alias, Chhote Sarkar.
Ram Parvesh Singh is believed to be arrested under sections 302, 307, 379, 380, 435, 436, 427, 353, and some other sections of the Indian Penal Code, 27 Arms Act, 3/4/5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and 17 of Cr.L.A.Act in 2008. Former member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Rajballabh Yadav was booked for raping a minor girl at his home in the year 2016. On December 15, 2018, he was convicted of the offence under the POCSO Act 2012. He has since been suspended from the RJD. Meanwhile, JDU MLC Bindeshwari Prasad Yadav was arrested by the Police while attempting to save his son Rocky Yadav who shot dead a class XII student for overtaking his SUV in Gaya.
Mohan is expected to walk out of jail on April 27. However, information about the release of the rest 26 prisoners is yet to be attained.
