Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh, who was serving a life sentence, was released from Bihar’s Saharsa jail on Thursday morning after being behind bars for 15 years. he was already out on parole to attend his son and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator Chetan Anand’s wedding.
The former Bihar MP was released under a jail sentence remission order after the state government’s recent amendment of prison rules which allowed the early release of him and 26 other prisoners.
Anand Mohan, an influential Rajput leader, also known as “Bahubali”, was convicted in 2007 for the murder of then Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah in 1994. He was convicted for his role in “inciting a mob” during a protest march against the killing of muscleman Chottan Shukla, on December 5, 1994, in Muzaffarpur.
A year later, the Patna High Court had commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment.
On April 10, the Nitish Kumar government amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, by removing a clause that said those “convicted for murder of a public servant on duty” could not be given remission of their jail term, triggering a massive political controversy.
Krishnaiah’s Hyderabad-based widow too has expressed disappointment over the state government’s decision to release Singh. The IAS Officers’ Association also opposed the decision and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also asked the Bihar government to “reconsider” its decision.
A jail official said he was released at around 3 AM to “avoid traffic and unnecessary media attention”.
After his release, Mohan reached his paternal home in Saharsa’s Pachgachhia and said that both the families has suffered due to the lynching incident.
Further, he also hinted that he would resume his political journey saying he would soon “sit together with old friends and well wishers” to decide the future course of plan.
Calling his jail stint a “cruel decision of destiny”, Mohan said, “I call my stay in jail for 15 and a half years as a cruel decision of destiny but I tried to channelise my energy into doing positive works by writing six books including one on mountain man Dasrath Manjhi”.
Singh’s release is being seen as the Mahagathbandhan government’s attempt to shore up support from Rajputs who are traditionally considered BJP voters.