Thirty-seven years ago, Krishna Deo Tiwari walked out of a jail in Uttar Pradesh after spending just 11 months there despite being sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case. More than three decades later, a sudden twist of fate has now dragged him back to jail to serve the remaining prison term. Watch What Else Is making News A CBI probe ordered by the Supreme Court into the mystery of how a man sentenced for life got freed only after 11 months has resulted in a reversal of fortune for Tiwari, who was compelled to surrender before a trial court in Basti. Last week, a bench of Justices J S Khehar and Arun Mishra were informed that Tiwari, along with his two brothers, had surrendered before the trial court on September 9, pursuant to an order by the court. The bench had ordered them to surrender immediately in the wake of an incriminating report by the CBI, which had dubbed Tiwari’s release as “dubious”. Tiwari will now have to undergo the remaining jail term while the trial court will also conduct an inquiry into whether his brothers have completed their six month’s sentence under the assault charge. Tiwari, now a septuagenarian, was released by the Basti district jail authorities on January 9, 1979, without any such order from the court or the government. To solve this mystery, the court had in September 2014 ordered a CBI probe into the release of Tiwari from the prison. The court had then noted: “The facts of the case at hand prima facie suggest that there is a deep-rooted malaise prevalent in the state of UP. No other inference can be drawn if a convict committed to jail can secure his release from custody in the manner noticed in the present case. It is unfortunate that agencies that are charged with the duty of upholding the rule of law are themselves involved in this kind of a racket. Directing a CBI probe, the apex court rejected Tiwari’s claim that he was released on parole and that he returned to serve the life term, noting that his release was “shrouded in mystery and unsupported by any record whatsoever”. The CBI adduced its first report in the court in July last year when the agency confirmed that it had traced Tiwari, who had not served his full conviction term. It added that though Tiwari claimed that he was released from jail after spending more than 14 years, his version was found to be contrary to evidence and records. The CBI, with permission from the court, also registered a separate preliminary enquiry (PE) into the episode, stating it would need to subject Tiwari to forensic and scientific tests such as polygraph in order to ascertain the role of jail staff or any other person. Recording its conclusion, the CBI submitted its final report before the bench in July this year and favoured sending Tiwari back to prison for serving the remaining jail term. It also said that the trial judge in Basti might pass suitable orders into the circumstances that helped Tiwari walk out without completing his term. The bench accepted the CBI’s report and ordered Tiwari and his two brothers to surrender before a trial court in Basti.
