The Patna High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former MP Lovely Anand, who was sentenced to life by a trial court in the murder of Gopalgunj District Magistrate G Krishnaiah. The court also admitted her appeal against the verdict of the lower court.

A division bench of the court comprising Justices Shiv Kirti Singh and S M Mahfooz Alam granted bail after the prosecution failed to prove that Anand had come out of her car and incited the mob to kill the IAS officer on December 5, 1994. The court also stayed the fine of Rs 25,000 imposed by the trial court. She will now be on bail till the disposal of her appeal by the High Court. The former MP, presently lodged in the Beur Central Jail, is likely to be released on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the bail has come as a big jolt for the law-enforcing agencies. The trial court had clearly mentioned that evidence against Lovely was the same as against the other three accused, who were awarded death sentence. But the court showed leniency considering her being a mother. “In the light of the above discussion she would be entitled for clemency of penal justice and it would not be appropriate to impose extreme penalty of death on her,” the trial court had said.