A body representing Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Madhya Pradesh on Friday expressed deep concern and anguish over the release of gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan, who was serving a life sentence for killing a district magistrate in Bihar three decades ago, after the Nitish Kumar government tweaked jail rules.

 Mohan, a former Lok Sabha MP, was released from Bihar's Saharsa jail on Thursday morning after being behind bars for 15 years for the murder of G Krishnaiah, the then-district magistrate of Gopalganj who was beaten to death by a mob in Muzaffarpur district in 1994. The 69-year-old gangster-turned-politician was convicted for the IAS officer's murder in 2007. Mohan's name figured in a list of more than 20 prisoners who were ordered to be set free by a notification issued by the Bihar government's law department earlier this week.

His remission of sentence followed an amendment of Bihar Prison Manual, whereby the restriction on early release of those involved in killing of a public servant on duty was done away with. “The decision (to change jail rules and facilitate Mohan's release) will adversely affect the morale and fortitude of each and every public servant,” the association's secretary, Vivek Porwal, told PTI. The association unanimously disapproves of this decision and urges the state government concerned (Bihar) to reconsider it, he said.

A Bihar court in October 2007 had initially sentenced Mohan, also a former MLA, to death in the case. However, the death sentence was commuted to life term by the Patna High Court in December 2008, when he appealed against the lower court verdict. The Bihar government has drawn flak from the Opposition BJP for the controversial decision. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi, a former Deputy CM of Bihar, has accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of sacrificing law to stay on in power with support from ally Rashtriya Janata Dal.