Indian legal system, or rather its carelessness has resulted in 2.5 lakh prisoners languishing in the jails without being convicted for any crime. They are mostly people arrested on false charges, or at least bailable charges, but never get out of jail for months or years. This is a photo marrative of one such person: a forgotten faceless undertrial and his journey to freedom.
A team of researchers and campaigners from Amnesty International India and a photographer visited Prajwal’s (name changed) village after he was released.
24 year old Prajwal is a graduate residing residing in a small village near Mysore. Prajwal loved his mother dearly. In a family with 2 brothers and a sister, he was the youngest and most pampered.
One fateful night in 2009, his life changed. He was sitting in a bar with his friends in Mysore. The police came, arrested him and threw him into jail.
Prajwal was subsequently charged by the police in 14 cases of theft.
He was tortured in police custody and was forced to not reveal the truth to the judge.
Prajwal was locked away and became one of the many thousands of undertrials in India awaiting justice. The wait took away 5 years of his life.
While Prajwal languished in jail, his family had no access to him. The system had made him invisible.
It was a long wait until justice was delivered. Prajwal was finally acquitted in all 14 cases in 2014, after 5 years of detention.
He was proven innocent, yet was kept behind bars for 19 days after the final acquittal. It was another tragedy of miscommunication in the system. The jail authorities thought he still had 3 cases against him and did not release him.
Amnesty International India identified Prajwal’s case early this year. On 23rd February 2014, researchers collected his acquittal orders from the courts, delivered them to jail authorities and secured his freedom.
The entire process took only 45 minutes.
“We can't do much...so I thought if he is dead, he is dead. We will then live believing that we have only one son...” Prajwal’s mother said.
Despite being innocent, Prajwal spent over 5 years locked away.
He is now trying to make up for lost time with friends and family.
Prajwal met his niece for the first time. She was born while he was in prison.
Putting his past behind him, Prajwal has now moved on. He is 28 years old, has a government job, wishes to find love and get married.
Photo Courtesy : © Amnesty International
Photographers: Hari Adivarekar, Diya Deb
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}