'Surrender Passport, Fortnightly Record Presence in Police Station': SC to Ex-MP Anand Mohan

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan on Tuesday asked former Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan, who was awarded life sentence, to surrender his passport and fortnightly record presence in police station.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked former Lok Sabha MP Anand Mohan to surrender his passport and record his presence at the local police station every fortnight.

The apex court gave the direction after the counsel, representing Uma Krishnaiah, the wife of the slain Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah, on Tuesday told the top court that it is a bizarre case as convict, Anand Mohan, was awarded life sentence but was released prematurely and now out playing a political role. Mohan was granted remission by the Bihar government last year.

After hearing submissions, the apex court asked Mohan to surrender his passport and record his presence at the local police station every fortnight. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan gave final opportunity to the Centre to file its affidavit on the remission granted to Mohan, who was serving life term in the 1994 murder case of then Gopalganj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Uma Krishnaiah, contended that the matter has been dragging on for a while as the Centre has not filed its reply to the petition challenging the remission.

Luthra, referring to the affidavit of Bihar government, said that it is a bizarre case as the convict was awarded life sentence but was released prematurely, and he is out of jail playing a political role. Luthra stressed that Centre was issued notice in May last year and the government is still seeking time to file an affidavit.

After hearing submissions, the bench said: "Respondent (Anand Mohan) should deposit his passport immediately in the local police station and record his presence at the police station every fortnight."

The apex court has scheduled the matter for final hearing on February 27 and it would give one hour each to both the sides to complete their argument in the matter.

Mohan's counsel requested the top court to reconsider the direction for deposit of passport and marking of presence at the local police station. The bench said it has passed the order in view of Mohan’s involvement in other cases and added, "let him comply with the order. We will hear the matter on February 27".

In August last year, the apex court had questioned the Bihar government as to how many of the convicts, granted remission in April last year along with Mohan, were held guilty of murdering public servants on duty.

In May 2023, the top court directed the Bihar government to produce complete original records with regard to the remission granted to Mohan, a gangster-turned-politician.

The Bihar government had told the Supreme Court that a convict undergoing life imprisonment in a murder case cannot be denied remission and "the punishment for murder of general public or a public servant is same", while defending its decision to release former Bihar MP Anand Mohan Singh.

The state government's response came on a plea by widow of the IAS officer G. Krishnaiah, who was lynched in 1994 by a mob led by Singh, against the former lawmaker premature release from prison.