The release of former Bihar MP Anand Mohan Singh during wee hours on Thursday has erupted into a major political controversy in the state following government’s prison rule change.
It was the change in prison rule by Nitish Kumar led government in the state that facilitated the release of gangster-turned-politician Singh, who is accused of IAS officer’s murder.
The current location of Singh, who has served 15 years in jail for abetting the murder of an IAS officer in 1994, is not known, said NDTV report.
It also mentioned that his son and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Chetan Anand is “unreachable on phone and the family's house in Saharsa is locked”.
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Singh as per the report was slated to be released at 7am, however he was released during wee hours to avoid media glare.
“Earlier, anyone convicted in connection with the murder of a public servant on duty was not eligible for a remission in sentence. This was changed by the Bihar government, paving the way for the release of 27 convicts, including Singh, who have served 14 years or more behind the bars,” mentioned the report.
Singh’s release has generated lot of political stir in the state with Opposition parties including BJP lambasting state government over the move.
Singh, who represented RJD in Lok Sabha, is considered a prominent Rajput face.
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“And his release is being seen as a move to attract Bihar's upper caste votes in the 2024 general election. The release also comes against the backdrop of Kumar meeting Opposition leaders to stitch a joint front to take on the BJP in 2024,” said the report.
Singh, who faced multiple cases, was found guilty of instigating a mob that lynched district magistrate G Krishnaiah, a Dalit IAS officer, in 1994.
“Krishnaiah was attacked by a mob protesting with the body of Chhotan Shukla, another gangster-politician of Anand Mohan's party, who had been killed a day earlier.
Singh was sentenced to death by a lower court in 2007, but the Patna High Court later commuted the penalty to life imprisonment,” it stated.
