Poet murder: Former UP minister Amarmani, wife get premature release
What's the story
The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday refused to stay the release of former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani, who are serving life sentences for the murder of poet Madhumita Shukla.
According to the news agency PTI, a bench of Justices Aniuddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi also issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the couple on a plea against their release by the poet's sister Nidhi Shukla.
Details
UP prisons department's earlier order
This development comes after the UP prisons department ordered the premature release of Amarmani (66) and Madhumani (61) on Thursday under the state's 2018 policy on remission, reported the Hindustan Times.
The convicted couple, who are currently admitted to Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, have completed 16 years of imprisonment.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government directive, they will be released based on their age and "good conduct" in prison.
Facts
Know about Nidhi's plea against release
Amid the release reports, the victim poet's sister, Nidhi, filed a plea, alleging that the convicts misled authorities by referring to SC orders issued in unrelated cases to secure a premature release.
Moreover, the notice issued by the SC to the UP government and the convicted couple on a plea filed by Nidhi also sought their replies within eight weeks.
What Next?
All you need to know about Madhumita Shukla murder case
Shukla was shot dead on May 9, 2003, in Paper Mill Colony, Lucknow. An investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) discovered that Amarmani and Shukla were in a relationship and that she was pregnant with his child.
In September 2003, Amarmani was arrested in connection with her murder.
In October 2007, a Dehradun court sentenced Amarmani and his wife Madhumani to life imprisonment for the murder.
The Nainital High Court and the SC later upheld the couple's sentence.
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Looking back at Amarmani's political career
Amarmani has a diverse political background. He started his career with the Communist Party of India (CPI) before joining the Congress, as per the Hindustan Times.
He served as a minister under various governments in UP, including the Mayawati-led government in 2002-03, and eventually switched to the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Despite his criminal conviction, Tripathi contested the assembly election from jail for the SP in 2007.
Anand Mohan
Premature release of former Bihar MP
In a similar premature release case, former MP Anand Mohan, who was serving a life sentence for instigating the murder of the then-Gaopalganj district magistrate in 1994, was released early in April after the Bihar government amended the prison rules.
The state government tweaked the Bihar Prison Manual, allowing life convicts involved in the murder of a public servant to be released early after serving a 14-year term.
Mohan walked free after spending less than 16 years behind bars.