Supreme Court agrees to hear plea of slain IAS officer’s wife on May 8

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an appeal by the widow of murdered Gopalganj District Magistrate and IAS officer G. Krishnaiah, challenging the early release of Anand Mohan,who was sentenced to life in prison for killing Krishnaiah in 1994.

A bench led by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud agreed to hear petition on 8 may following an urgent mention by Uma Krishnaiah, widow of murdered officer.

The petition challenges a change in the Bihar prison law that allowed Anand Mohan, a former Bihar MP and gangster-turned-politician, to be released early from prison.

Mohan was released on 10 april from jail.

On April 10, the State Government made an amendment in the Bihar Prison Manual to allow prisoners serving life sentences for severe crimes to request remission after serving 14 years.

The amendment also made it possible for those who have been convicted of killing an on duty public servant to apply for remission. Intrestingly, the The alteration, which took effect as a result of a State Law Department announcement, was made without any justification at all.

“Life imprisonment, when awarded as a substitute for the death penalty, has to be carried out strictly as directed by the Court and would be beyond application of remission,” the petition argued.

The government’s move to amend the said bill has been criticized by the opposition claiming it has been done to fecilitate delebritly  to release Mohan for electoral gain.