As the brutal murder of IAS officer G Krishnaiah on December 5, 1994, returned to headlines nearly 30 later and the main convict in the Dalit officer’s killing was allowed to walk free after the Bihar government tweaked a law, the Central IAS officers’ body came down heavily on the Nitish Kumar administration.
“Such a decision only leads to a decline in the morale of the public servants. We request the state government to reconsider its decision as soon as possible,” the IAS Association tweeted.
The association of serving and retired members of the Indian Administrative Service have raised questions over former MP, Mohan’s release.
The association condemned the decision on social media and tweeted, “The Central IAS Association expresses its deep dismay at the decision of the State Government of Bihar to release the convicts of the brutal killing of Late Shri G Krishnaiah, IAS, former District Magistrate of Gopalganj, by a change in classification rules of prisoners.
With a single stroke, the Bihar government recently removed a key phrase from the Bihar Prison Manual facilitating the release of Mohan, the only one convicted in Krishnaiah’s killing, besides 27 others.
As the phrase relating to “murder of a government servant on duty” was deleted from the 2012 jail manual, a state government notification said: “In the light of the Bihar state sentence remission council meeting on April 20, 2023, the decision was taken for the release of prisoners having served an actual sentence of 14 years or sentence of 20 years with remission,..”
The 1985 batch IAS officer G Krishnaiah was posted as the DM of Gopalganj district, the home district of then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. The 37-year-old officer was killed in Muzaffarpur by a mob led by politicians.
As Mohan is set to walk free any day now, the IAS central body said: “Such dilution leads to impunity, erosion in morale of public servants, undermines public order & makes a mockery of administration of justice. We strongly request the State Govt. of Bihar to reconsider its decision at the earliest.”
It noted, “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 a denial of justice.”
Not only IAS association, but many bureaucrats have raised their voices against the decision.
Jammu and Kashmir cadre IAS officer Shah Faesal tweeted, “Justice must be served for heinous crimes committed against public servants on duty. A convict of murder cannot be re-classified to a lesser charge. Thank you IAS association for standing firm on this matter.”
Gujarat cadre IAS officer and DDO Valsad, Mr Manish Gurwani said, “A civil servant is brutally murdered and rules are tweaked to pave way for early release of the convicts. As ironical as it may seem, the change in rules and release orders are signed by civil servants.(Of course, on the government’s instructions.)
This is anything but justice.”
IAS Gaurang Rathi tweeted, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Martin Luther King Jr.”
IAS Jayadev Sarangi said, “It is a fit case for approaching appropriate court with a public interest litigation. Playing victim card won’t take it anywhere!”
The 1985 Batch retired IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre and former Secretary to Government of India in Home Ministry, Mr Sanjeev Gupta shared a report and number of tweets over prison amendment manual. He said, “A heart wrenching & truthful ground report on my batchmate Krishnaiah who was lynched by a mob led by Anand Mohan in 1994. Convicted in 2007, he was freed yesterday by dropping the words ‘murder of a public servant on duty’ from Prison Manual.”
The 2019 batch IAS officer Himanshu Nagpal tweeted, “It’s a shame that such convicted criminals get their way through a deliberate act of amendment of the rules. It was a public servant on service that was attacked. Sincere request to the state to reconsider this decision and correct a wrong.”
