Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh released from Saharsa jail

Saharsa/Patna: Gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh was released from Saharsa jail on Thursday morning.

Singh's release was allowed under a jail sentence remission order after the state government recently amended the prison rules allowing the early release of 27 convicts including him.

Anand, was serving a life term for his alleged role in the 1994 murder of the then Gopalganj collector G Krishnaiah, a young IAS officer during the funeral procession of Muzaffarpur gangster Chotan Shukla.

Anand who was in jail for the last 15 years after being convicted in the case is expected to reach his home later on Thursday.

A local court in October 2007 had initially sentenced him to death, but it was later commuted to life term by the Patna High court in December, 2008, when he appealed against the lower court verdict.

The Nitish Kumar government, on April 10, amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012 and removed a clause which said those convicted for “murder of a public servant on duty” could not be given remission of their jail term.

The move sparked a political controversy, with the coalition government drawing fire from the Opposition BJP. BJP's MP Sushil Kumar Modi, also Bihar's former deputy Chief Minister, has said Kumar had sacrificed law to stay on in power with support from ally RJD. The late IAS officer's wife had expressed disappointment over the state government decision to release Singh.