Thackeray had requested the State Government on Tuesday to release Hazare through the party mouthpiece Saamna following which the Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said the governemnt would soon take a decision to this effect.

An order was issued from the Home Department this afternoon and a copy was immediately sent to the Yerawada Central Jail. The order reads: ``In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-section (1) of Section 432 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and of all other powers enabling it in this behalf, the Government of Maharashtra is hereby pleased to remit the sentence of remaining portion of three months simple imprisonment imposed by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, 40th court, Girgaon, Mumbai, in the criminal application number 397/S/97 of 1997, under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code in respect of Kisan B Hazare alias Anna Hazare.''