'Mockery of administration of justice': Top IAS body on Anand Mohan's release

The Central IAS Association on Tuesday expressed its deep dismay at the decision of the Bihar government to release the convicts of the brutal killing of IAS officer G Krishnaiah.

"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," a statement from the top IAS body said.

The IAS body said that "such dilution leads to impunity, erosion in the morale of public servants, undermines public order and makes a mockery of administration of justice."

The Nitish Kumar government, in a notification issued late on Monday, ordered the release of 27 people, including former Bihar MP Anand Mohan, who is serving a life sentence in a three-decade-old case of the IAS officer's murder. They all have spent 14 years or more in jail.

The government had recently tweaked the prison rules by removing the clause forbidding the remission of jail term for those convicted of murdering a public servant on duty. As per the new rules, those involved in serious cases like the killing of a government servant can be released after the elapse of 14 years.

Krishnaiah was a Dalit and an IAS officer of 1985 batch. He was lynched to death while his car tried to overtake a funeral procession of which Mohan was a part in 1994.

Back then, Mohan, a prominent Rajput leader, was an MLA from Mahishi in Saharsa district. He had come to Muzaffarpur to mourn the killing of dreaded gangster Chhotan Shukla, who belonged to the Bhumihar community.

Photo Credit: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav with former MP Anand Mohan attend engagement function of MLA Chetan Anand, in Patna, Monday.

It has to be noted that Mohan's son Chetan Anand is an RJD MLA and his engagement was held on Monday and top leaders from the ruling party including Nitish Kumar attended it.

Meanwhile, slain IAS officer G Krishnaiah's wife Uma Devi slammed the Bihar government's decision to release Anand Mohan Singh and alleged that it was being done to get "Rajput votes."

"We are not happy, we feel it is wrong. There is caste politics in Bihar, he is a Rajput, so he will get Rajput votes. Otherwise, what is the need of releasing a criminal? He will be given an election ticket so that he can bring Rajput votes," he is quoted as saying in an interview with ANI.

With inputs from agencies.