Wife of IAS officer killed by Anand Mohan asks: ‘Will people have faith in a govt that frees criminals?’

G Uma Krishnaiah was speaking to The Indian Express a day after the Bihar government notified the release of 27 prisoners, including Mohan, after amending the Bihar Prison Manual

Tears welled up as G Uma Krishnaiah (60) spoke about losing her husband IAS officer G Krishnaiah almost three decades ago. (Express photo)

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“Nitish Kumar is setting a horrible precedent by releasing a person convicted of murder. It will embolden criminals to attack government officials because they know they can easily get out of prison. For just a few Rajput votes, he has taken a decision that has so many consequences for the common people. The Rajput community should think over this – whether they want a criminal like Anand Mohan to represent them in politics,” said G Uma Krishnaiah, wife of Dalit IAS officer G Krishnaiah, who was killed by Mohan in 1994. She was speaking to The Indian Express a day after the Bihar government notified the release of 27 prisoners, including Mohan, after amending the Bihar Prison Manual.

Uma, who was 30 when she lost her husband on December 5, 1994, moved to Hyderabad two days later and was allotted a flat in the Officers Transit Hostel at Begumpet. (Express photo)

Tears welled up as the 60-year-old woman spoke about losing her husband almost three decades ago. “I didn’t even know about it (the release); someone from the society told me and it broke my heart, took away my peace of mind,” she said. “This is not about me. I have lived my life. If health permits, I may live a few more years. But this is about all the civil servants and government officers and common people who will bear the brunt of criminals because they will do as they please as they no longer fear the repercussions. This will only encourage goons and thugs to take the law into their own hands; that is why mafia rules in Bihar. It was the same then, it is the same now.”

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“I think Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene and impress upon Nitish Kumar to withdraw this decision. My husband was an IAS officer, and it is the Centre’s responsibility to ensure that justice is done. I was not happy when they were given life imprisonment instead of the death penalty. Now, I have to contend with the fact that his killers are being released from prison without even serving the full sentence. Nitish Kumar may win a few seats or may even form the government, but will people have faith in such politicians and such a government?” she asked.

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Uma, who was 30 when she lost her husband on December 5, 1994, moved to Hyderabad two days later and was allotted a flat in the Officers Transit Hostel at Begumpet. “My two daughters were 7 and 5 at that time and we were traumatised and frightened,” she recalled.

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By February 1995, she was working as a lecturer at the Government Degree College for Women at Begumpet. She retired in 2017. In between, she was allotted a plot in Prashasan Nagar in Jubilee Hills, where she constructed a house. While her elder daughter Niharika is a bank manager, the younger daughter, Padma, is a software engineer.

“I don’t know if we have the patience to go through the legal process all over again. My husband’s 1985 batch officers are in touch with me and they are asking if we should approach the Patna High Court or the Supreme Court against the Bihar government’s decision. We are discussing it. I do not want them to be released from jail. They should remain in prison for life,” she said.

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