Meerut Man Accused Of Murder, Studies Law In Jail, Wins Acquittal After Fighting Own Case

Meerut: It took Amit Chaudhary 12 years to win acquittal from a crime he had not committed and he lost the prime years of his life after being incarcerated for two years at the age of 18. But 100 percent sure that he had been framed for a crime that he did not commit, he knew that the only way out of this dungeon was to light it up with knowledge of the law that governs justice.

Twelve years ago, at the tender age of 18, Amit Chaudhary was accused of the murder of two constables in UP's Meerut and wrongly accused of being a gangster, reports The Times Of India.

The then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh - Mayawati - ordered the immediate arrest of the culprits as the case became sensationalised due to the deceased being men in uniform.

Amit Chaudhary had a strong alibi. He was not even at the crime scene village when the murders happened, he was in Shamli district with his sister. But the police would have none of it.

He was thrown into the notorious Muzaffarnagar jail which houses sinister gangsters who run their writ even within the prison walls. Amit had been dreaming of making it through the Army's recruitment drive and here was - instead - being told that he was a part of the notorious Kail gang that had hatched the murder plot. He was in jail for two years until he was granted bail in 2013.

Being the son of a farmer from Kirthal village in Baghpat and with no intent to become a criminal ever, Chaudhary suffered guilt and shame while in jail but decided his path ahead. He decided to make adversity the catalyst for his remarkable transformation - and escape - and studied law to prove his innocence. The jailer - a kind man - not only helped him resist attempts by notorious jail inmates (while he was in jail before the bail) to involve him in criminal activities but also allowed him to stay in barracks that did not have hardened criminals.

"In Muzaffarnagar jail, dreaded gangsters like Anil Dujana and Vicky Tyagi (both killed in encounters) tried to enroll me into their gangs. The jailor was good-natured, and he allowed me into a barrack where gangsters were not lodged," he reportedly told The Times Of India.

Then just two years after being incarcerated - he won bail in 2013, Chaudhary decided that this was his opportunity to reclaim life and restart his academic pursuits. He was deeply hurt by the shame and aspersions his charges had brought upon his simple and hardworking family. He needed to clear the name and also find his path ahead as he saw the dream of joining the Army slipping away.

Out on bail, he immersed himself in the study of law, achieving academic milestones that included a BA, LLB, and LLM, eventually passing the Bar Council's exam. He was now armed with legal knowledge and found the strength to fight his case.

"The case dragged on at a snail's pace with no statements recorded. By that time, I had completed all academic and other formalities to join the Bar as a lawyer and pursued the case with a single-minded focus."

He added: "I, as a lawyer, representing my own case, was standing right in front of the officer who stood in the witness box, and yet he could not identify me. This perplexed the judge and convinced her that I was framed wrongly."

The court's decision, which came only recently, exonerated 13 individuals, including Chaudhary, stating, "The prosecution has failed to prove the offence of criminal conspiracy to kill constables Krishanpal and Amit Kumar and loot their rifles, beyond a reasonable doubt."

Meanwhile, the real orchestrators of the murder - Sumit Kail, Neetu, and Dharmendra - faced different fates. Gangster Kail was killed in a 2013 encounter, Neetu received a life sentence and a fine of Rs 20,000 for killing the constable and taking his guns, and Dharmendra succumbed to cancer before the verdict.

Resilient and academically inclined, Chaudhary remained stoic and soldiered on the path of academic pursuit. He still recalls the black night of 2011 that changed his life, though. Now he plans to pursue a PhD in criminal justice. "I think God has chosen me to fight for other unfortunate ones. That's my destiny now," he told TOI.

Amit Chaudhary's story is that of not crying that it is dark and circumstances are bad but instead lighting a lamp and finding the way out into brilliant light.