The politician’s daring conduct on Tuesday is seen by many in Bihar as a “small concession” he perhaps got from the government as part of embattled Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s growing efforts to placate the state’s restive upper castes. But the incident led to the suspension on Wednesday of all the seven policemen escorting Mohan from jail in Saharsa to a court in Sitamarhi for an appearance.
Surrounded by policemen, the former MP from Shivhar visited an RJD leader’s house for a feast in Samastipur where he was greeted with scores of his gun-toting supporters. He addressed journalists on the Sitamarhi court premises and attacked the Congress over the Women’s Reservation Bill. Mohan then travelled from Samastipur to Sitamarhi in a private luxury car accompanied by several vehicles carrying his slogan-shouting supporters.
Mohan was convicted in 2007 along with his wife, ex-MP Lovely Anand, for the murder of dalit Bihar-cadre IAS officer and then Gopalganj district magistrate G. Krishnaiyyah in December 1994. Five other JD(U) leaders were also convicted along with this high-profile couple for the upright officer’s murder.
Mohan’s conviction made him the first MP to get the death sentence, which was later reduced to life imprisonment.
A “high-caste” Rajput leader, Mohan had been a personal and political friend of Mr Nitish Kumar till his conviction. Mohan had reportedly played critical roles in the formation of Bihar’s JD(U)-BJP government in November 2005. While it was impossible for Mr Kumar to defend Mohan even indirectly after his death sentence, the then JD(U) chief, Mr George Fernandes, had met Mohan at Patna’s Beur Central Jail and openly supported him.
Anand S.T. Das