The Bihar government on Monday issued a notification for the release of 27 prisoners, including muscleman and former Lok Sabha member Anand Mohan Singh, serving life sentences in different jails of the state.

A notification issued by the state law department says the decision was taken in the light of a Patna High Court order that allows for the release of prisoners serving life terms who have completed 14 years of actual incarceration and altogether 20 years of sentence, including remissions.

Singh, 75, was convicted and awarded a life sentence in 2007 for the murder of the Gopalganj district magistrate G. Krishnaiah in 1994. He was lodged at the Saharsa jail and is currently out on parole to attend the engagement and wedding of his son and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Chetan Anand.

The engagement of Chetan is scheduled on April 24, while the wedding will take place on May 6.

The Nitish Kumar-led government silently amended the Bihar Prison Manual, 2012, earlier this month and tweaked rule 481(1)(a), which had stipulated that thoseconvicted of killing government officials were not entitled to be released for good behaviour. Now that clause has been abolished. The hush-hush amendment drew criticism from different sections of society.

Nitish had indicated at a public meeting to the supporters of Singh that his government was taking steps to ensure his release from prison.