PATNA: Bihar's infamous gangster-turned-politician and former MP Anand Mohan was set free from Bihar's Saharsa divisional jail on Thursday, a day after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Patna high court against the government's decision to release him along with 26 others from jail.
Sources said that the order for release of Anand Mohan, convicted in the murder case of the then Gopalganj district magistrate G Krishnaiah, reached the Saharsa jail on Wednesday. Accordingly, he was set free next morning.
Hundreds of Anand's supporters had assembled outside the main gate of Saharsa jail to receive their popular leader. However, he came out through the back door and was allowed to move in a luxury car.
“He was released around 4. 30 am for security reasons. We had inputs about assemblage of a large number of supporters to receive him,” said an official of the divisional jail.
Anand had returned to jail on Wednesday after his 15-day parole came to an end. His release has created a controversy as rules were tweaked by the government for the purpose. Besides him, 26 other convicts have also been set free.
On Wednesday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Patna high court against government's decision to release the convicts serving life sentence.
The PIL was filed on behalf of Amar Jyoti, Bihar in-charge of Bhim Army's Bharat
Ekta Mission.
It alleged that the Nitish Kumar government tweaked state's prison manual to favour life convicts serving sentence for serious crimes.
On April 24, law department issued a notification asking superintendents of jails concerned to initiate process of release convicts on permanent basis in the wake of recent decision of state government.