The CPI (ML-Liberation), a partner in the governing Grand Alliance, on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and urged him to release six people still in jail out of 14 people convicted in 2003 under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). This comes days after the Bihar government amended a provision in Bihar Jail Manual, paving the way for early release of 29 murder convicts, The 14 were convicted in 2003 in connection with the 1988 Bhadasi (Arwal) case, in which police said they were involved in a rebellion by a group of armed people allegedly involved in disruptive activities. The CPI (ML-Liberation) claims they were wrongly framed and convicted following a clash between police and local residents in which three people were killed. The party's Bihar unit secretary, Kunal, told The Indian Express that it has been a “long-pending demand” and has “nothing to do with the state government amending its jail manual to benefit certain people”. Of the 14 convicted, six have died while in jail, one person was released from jail and has been absconding since, and one person got remission. The Bhadasi incident had taken place at a time when private armies were involved in caste wars in the state. In the letter, CPI (ML-Liberation) MLA Mahanand Singh wrote: "At a time when TADA had become defunct in the country, it was misused in the Arwal case, destroying the lives of 14 people. It is a bitter truth that six of 14 convicts died recently in jail because of lack of adequate treatment.. One of the six was local leader, Madhav Choudhary, who died at Patna Medical College and Hospital on 8 April, 2023.” Stating that Choudhary's death “vindicates” the party's stand that the others convicted in the case should be released, Singh noted that they have anyway completed their “usual life sentence” and they have been in jail for 22 years now. Referring to a waiver given by Patna High Court to one accused in the Tribhuvan Sharma case recently, Singh wrote that the six men convicted in the Bhadasi case — Dr Jagdish Yadav, Churaman Bhagat, Arvind Choudhary, Ajit Sao, Shyam Sao and Laxman Sao — should be released immediately on "humanitarian grounds”. He wrote that three of them are ailing. Party leader Kunal told The Indian Express, “Our simple contention is that the six people have been in jail in bad health condition and the state government should sympathise with them. The CM has given us a patient hearing. We hope they are freed soon.” He pointed out that the party had taken a march from Arwal to Patna in 2003 after the 14 were convicted in the case.
