On April 25, a group representing Central Civil Services officers wrote to the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government to reconsider the decision to release gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan. In the letter, the Indian Civil and Administrative Service (Central) Association, New Delhi, expressed its ‘deep dismay’ at the decision and termed it as ‘tantamounted to denial of justice’.
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 Late Shri G Krishnaiah, IAS, former District Magistrate of Gopalganj, by a change in classification rules of prisoners. pic.twitter.com/a84s7pYL20
— IAS Association (@IASassociation) April 25, 2023
Notably, the Bihar government recently amended its prison manual to ensure the release of Anand Mohan. He was convicted in the murder of 1985-batch IAS officer G Krishnaiah who was serving as then-Gopalganj District Magistrate. He was murdered in 1994.
In the statement, the association said, “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 Late Shri G Krishnaiah, IAS, former District Magistrate of Gopalganj, by a change in classification rules of prisoners. A convict of a 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. Such dilution leads to impunity, erosion in the morale of public servants, undermines public order & makes a mockery of administration of justice.”
It added, “We strongly request the State Govt. of Bihar to reconsider its decision at the earliest.” In its statement, the association asserted that a convict of the murder charge of a serving government official cannot be re-classified to a “less heinous” category.
The release of Anand Mohan
Anand Mohan is one of the 27 convicts who are set to get released from different prisons as they have served more than 14 years in Jail. The decision was taken after the Bihar government made amendments to the Prison Manual, 2012 and changed Rule 481 to facilitate the release of the convicts. 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.
Mohan is currently out on parole to attend the engagement of his son Chetan Anand, a sitting MLA of RJD in the state. 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. Reportedly, this is the third time in the last six months that Anand Mohan has been allowed release on parole.
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.
The murder of G Krishnaiah
In 1994, G Krishnaian was attacked by a mob led by Anand Mohan, leading to his death. He was serving as district magistrate at that time. Hailing from Mahabubnagar in Telangana, Krishnaiah was considered to be one of the most honest bureaucrats of his time.
