By Abdul Basheer: Slain IAS officer G Krishnaiah’s wife Uma Devi on Tuesday expressed disappointment over Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government’s decision to release gangster-politician Anand Mohan Singh from prison. Anand Mohan was convicted of leading a mob that lynched district magistrate Krishnaiah. Uma Devi has appealed to the prime minister and president to step in.
Uma Devi said the person who killed an honest official had been set free. While speaking to AajTak, Uma Devi also termed Anand Mohan’s release “an injustice” and said that the Bihar government made a wrong decision.
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The Telangana-born Dalit IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was then the district magistrate of Gopalganj, was beaten and shot dead by a mob in 1994, while his vehicle was passing through Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.
The violence broke out during the funeral procession of Chhotan Shukla, a dreaded gangster, who was shot dead in Muzaffarpur town.
An angered Uma Devi requested the prime minister and president to intervene in the matter. “The killer of an honest officer is being freed. This shows what the condition of law and order is in the state,” Uma Devi said.
Uma Devi also urged Rajput and other communities to oppose the release of the gangster-turned-politician. “He should not be released, but be hanged to death,” she said.
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WHY IS ANAND MOHAN BEING RELEASED?
The former Bihar MP is to be set free along with 26 others who have been lodged in different prisons of the state for more than 14 years.
However, on April 10, the Bihar government tweaked the Prison Manual, 2012, making changes to rule 481 to facilitate Mohan’s release. The state government’s official notification ordered the release of 26 other prisoners who had served between 14 and 20 years in jail.
Anand Mohan, who was out on parole, got the news of his release while he was attending the engagement of his son Chetan Anand, who is a sitting MLA of the ruling RJD in the state.
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WHO WAS G KRISHNAIAH?
A 1985 batch IAS officer, G Krishnaiah, hailed from Mahabubnagar in Telangana. He belonged to a poor Dalit family and was said to be of the most honest bureaucrats of his time. He was the District Magistrate of Gopalganj in 1994, the year he was murdered.
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ANAND MOHAN ON HIS RELEASE
While speaking exclusively to India Today, Anand Mohan reacted to the backlash surrounding his release and expressed his sadness over Krishnaiah’s death. “Those who are questioning the decision to release me can go to court. Those opposing it are disrespecting the rule of law,” Anand Mohan said.
He said that prisoners who are serving long prison sentences can be released and asserted that the same happened with him.
Without mentioning BSP supremo Mayawati by name, Mohan lashed out at “those who are making an issue out of the unfortunate death of G Krishnaiah”.
