I, Fernandes, Nitish met Anand Mohan after 1994 incident, he claimed innocence: RJD leader

Patna April 25 (IANS) With the wife of slain IAS officer G. Krishnaiah saying that she will move the Supreme Court against the Bihar government's decision to release Bahubali leader Anand Mohan, RJD Vice President Shivanand Tiwari said that everyone has the right to seek legal remedies.

"Three days after the murder of (IAS officer) G Krishnaiah, I, along with George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar went to Muzaffarpur jail to find out the actual details of the incident. We met Anand Mohan Singh, Akhlakh and other accused who were facing the murder charge of the Gopalganj DM. They had informed us that they have no role in the murder of Krishnaiah. They were present at the spot where a large crowd were protesting with the dead body of Chotan Shukla but Anand Mohan and others were not near the car of Krishnaiah," he claimed.

"It was the supporters of Chotan Shukla who became more angry after the PSO of Krishnaiah pulled out the gun in self-defence. Mob believes that the PSO may have fired on them and hence they attacked PSO and Krishnaiah. The role of Anand Mohan and others who were given the death penalty and later converted to life term had no role in it," Tiwari said.

"After the meeting with Anand Mohan and others, we came out from Muzaffarpur jail and George Fernandes who was leading us, had given statement in local media outside Muzaffarpur jail that Anand Mohan and others were not involved in the lynching of Krishnaiah. Nitish Kumar also knew him right from the beginning. The court had acquitted other accused in this case but Nitish Kumar did not allow Anand Mohan to roam free. He served a jail term of more than 15 years without his guilt of murder being proven," he added.

Reacting on the statement of the slain IAS officer's wife, Tiwari said: "Everyone has the right to go to the Supreme Court if he/she believes that justice is not delivered. We have complete sympathy with her but we have to keep in mind the circumstances on which the court had acquitted other accused of this case."

Anand Mohan is serving life imprisonment in the lynching of Krishnaiah on December 5 1994 in Muzaffarpur. Krishnaiah, the DM of Gopalganj, was returning from Patna after an official meeting. When he reached Muzaffarpur, supporters of underworld don Chotan Shukla were carrying his dead body to the cremation ground. They attacked his car and lynched him. Anand Mohan was part of the funeral process and police of Muzaffarpur charge sheeted him for provoking the supporters for the lynching.