Lucknow: At 7.15 pm on Wednesday, as the iron gates of Bareilly Central Jail opened, 54-year-old Azad Khan stepped out slowly — a free man at last after spending more than two decades behind bars. His release came 24 years after his arrest, and over a month after the Allahabad High Court acquitted him, observing that the prosecution had failed to produce even a single witness linking him to the alleged crime.
The toll of prolonged incarceration was visible in his frail frame and fragile state of mind. Azad’s continued detention despite his acquittal came to light after a media report highlighted the delay, prompting swift action from authorities.
Taking cognisance of the report, the Uttar Pradesh Jail Headquarters in Lucknow directed Bareilly jail officials to immediately begin the release process. The jail administration then coordinated with the Mainpuri district court to obtain the necessary orders, breaking through years of procedural delays that had kept Azad confined.
There were no celebrations when he finally walked free. Prison officials said the uncertainty of his legal status, long isolation and years of confinement had left him physically and emotionally vulnerable, requiring careful handling at the time of release.
Speaking after his release, Azad said he was overwhelmed to experience freedom after 24 years, eight months and 26 days. He recalled that in 2001, after learning that a dacoity case had been registered against him, he voluntarily surrendered before the court. At the time, he was living in Delhi and working as a tailor.
Doctors at the jail had earlier reported episodes of mental distress, prompting authorities to ensure that he would not be left alone after release. Given his condition, officials contacted his elder brother, Mastan Khan, and asked him to come to Bareilly to receive him. With no other immediate family present, jail authorities decided it would be safer and more humane to hand Azad over directly to a family member. Mastan Khan was expected to arrive by 11 pm to reunite with his brother after decades apart.
Yanendra Pandey, the court-appointed lawyer who has handled Azad’s case since 2023, said the case highlights serious systemic failures. “Acquitted prisoners continue to remain in jail due to procedural delays and poor coordination between courts and prison authorities. In Azad’s case, it was only after external intervention that agencies moved together — from jail headquarters to the district court — to complete documentation, bonds and other formalities,” he said.
As evening fell over the prison complex, Azad waited quietly inside the premises, his legal release complete but his journey back to normal life only beginning. For a man who went to prison in his youth and returned in middle age, freedom is not just about stepping outside the gates — it is about learning to live again in a world that moved on without him.
