He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007…
Anand Mohan Singh, a Bihar politician convicted and sentenced to life in a murder case, walked out of the Saharsa jail before daybreak on Thursday after the Bihar government altered prison rules to allow convicts who have served 14 or 20 years in prison to be released.
The gangster-turned-politician was on a 15-day release to attend his son Chetan Anand's wedding. "He left around 4 a.m.," a Saharsa jail employee informed reporters gathered outside the prison. Mohan was initially to be released around 7 am. But the sudden change of plan was reportedly made to avoid the media.
The former MP was released from prison when the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar changed the rules. Previously, anyone convicted of the murder of a public servant on duty was ineligible for a sentence reduction. The Bihar government altered this, allowing the release of 27 inmates, including Singh, who had served 14 years or more in prison.
The move has prompted widespread outrage, with the Nitish Kumar government facing criticism from the opposition BJP. Sushil Kumar Modi, a BJP MP and former Bihar deputy chief minister, said Mr. Kumar had abandoned the rule of law in order to retain power with the support of the RJD.
Singh, who faced various charges, was convicted guilty of inciting a mob to kill Dalit IAS officer G Krishnaiah in 1994.
A lower court sentenced Singh to death in 2007, but the Patna High Court eventually sentenced Mohan to life imprisonment. The late IAS officer's wife has also conveyed her displeasure at Singh's release saying that it sends the notion that one can commit a crime, go to jail, and then be released to enter politics.
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