Nitish Kumar amends remission rules for bureaucrats murder
Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 17
Former Samta Party MP Anand Mohan Singh, who was in Saharas jail for the last 14 years, will be a free bird now.
Screening committee of the Prison department that met here on Monday to review the remission recommended by jail authorities favoured his release from the jail. Anand Mohan Singh was sentenced to death punishment by Patna High Court in 2008 following an order of the district and sessions judge who had also sentenced him and six others including his wife Lovely Anand to death on charges of lynching the then District Magistrate of Gopalganj G Krishnaiah on NH 28 between Hajpur and MUzaffarpur on December 4, 1994
Krishnaiah was first beaten by sticks and then someone from the mob shot him dead. Anand Mohan and other leaders were in the funeral procession of a local leader Chhotan Shukla. Supreme Court had changed the death sentence into life imprisonment. Six others including his wife were acquitted in the case.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had founded Samta Party with Anand Mohan Singh, had assured the latter’s supporters at a family event organised by Lovely Singh that he (Anand Mohan) would be released and the state government had started the process. Mohan was promoted by the former Prime Minister late Chandrashekhar.
On April 10, the Bihar Jail Manual’s rule 481(1-A) was amended and notification was issued to suggest those found guilty of murder of a public servant would also get benefit of remission for their good conduct during their detention. Earlier, the rule prevented any relief to the convict for murder of a civil servant, but now with the latest amendment, murder of a civil servant is considered like any other murder.
Anand Mohan who was first elected as an MLA in 1990 from Mahisi in Saharsa was later elected MP from Sheohar, a Rajput dominated constituency and his wife, Lovely Anand, too from Vaishali, another Rajput dominated Lok Sabha constituency. She had defeated Ms Kishori Sinha, wife of the former Chief Minister Satyendra Narain Sinha.
Anand Mohan is already on 15 days parole to join the marriage celebrations of his son, Chetan Anand, an MLA of RJD. Two months ago, he was again on parole to attend the marriage of his daughter.
Anand Mohan’s early release will help the Mahagathbandhan during the coming Lok Sabha elections as he has a large following among the members of upper caste Rajputs. He will campaign against the BJP in the elections as he is known for his fiery speeches.
