Uttar Pradesh, India
Amit Chaudhary's life took a harrowing turn at the age of 18 when he found himself wrongly accused in a crime he didn't commit. In 2011, he was framed for the murder of two constables in Meerut and falsely labelled a gangster.
Then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, ordered his immediate arrest, making him one of the 17 accused in the case. Facing severe charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the National Security Act, Chaudhary endured two years behind bars.
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Murder accused turned lawyer
Instead of succumbing to the adversity, Chaudhary turned it into an opportunity. He utilised his time in jail to study law and prove his innocence.
A farmer's son from Kirthal village in Baghpat, he faced temptations from notorious gangsters in Muzaffarnagar jail, including Anil Dujana and Vicky Tyagi.
However, the jailor's intervention allowed him to stay in a different barrack away from these influences.
Released on bail in 2013, Chaudhary embarked on a journey to clear his name and pursued legal studies, achieving academic milestones, including a BA, LLB, and LLM.
Armed with legal knowledge, he took charge of his own case, standing as his own lawyer.
In a recent court decision, 13 people, including Chaudhary, were exonerated due to the prosecution's failure to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The court concluded that the offense of criminal conspiracy to kill constables Krishanpal and Amit Kumar and loot their rifles was not substantiated.
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While the real orchestrators faced different fates, with Sumit Kail killed in a 2013 encounter, Neetu receiving a life sentence, and Dharmendra succumbing to cancer, Chaudhary remains resilient.
Although his dreams of joining the Army were shattered, he now aspires to pursue a PhD in criminal justice, viewing his experience as a calling to advocate for the unjustly accused.
(With inputs from agencies)