After 20 Years in Jail for a Crime He Didn’t Commit, Vishnu Tiwari’s Freedom Came at a Heavy Cost

When Vishnu Tiwari walked out of prison in 2021, freedom did not feel like a triumph. After spending two decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit, the life he once knew had vanished. His parents had died, his family had disintegrated, and the world outside had moved on without him.

A video currently circulating widely on social media shows a man breaking down in tears as he steps out of a prison gate. While News18 has not independently verified the authenticity of the clip, it is being widely linked online to Vishnu Tiwari, who was acquitted by the Allahabad High Court in 2021 after spending 20 years in jail in a false rape case.

A Case That Began in 2000

In September 2000, Tiwari, a resident of Lalitpur district in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on allegations of rape and charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He was 23 years old at the time. In 2003, a trial court convicted him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. From then on, he remained lodged in Agra Central Jail without once being granted bail.

For the next 20 years, Tiwari never stepped outside prison walls—not even temporarily. He was denied parole throughout his incarceration, including during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, when several inmates were released to ease overcrowding. During this period, his parents and two brothers passed away, his family faced social ostracism, and their five acres of land were sold. Reports also stated that he was not permitted to attend the last rites of his family members.

Speaking after his release, Tiwari said, “I am happy, but I don’t know what to do now. My house is in ruins. My family members are dead. We are demanding cooperation from the administration. In my case, the investigating officer filed a false report. There was a dispute about tying a cow. My lawyer also ditched me.”

The now-viral video, believed to be linked to Tiwari, shows a man crying uncontrollably as he walks out of jail. Social media posts accompanying the clip describe how years of incarceration had destroyed his life.

Public Outrage on Social Media

The video has triggered widespread reactions online, with users expressing anger, grief and frustration over the years Tiwari spent in prison.

Many questioned the lack of accountability within the system, while others demanded compensation for the years he lost behind bars. Several comments reflected deep disillusionment with the justice delivery process, highlighting concerns over false accusations, investigative lapses and prolonged judicial delays.

While opinions varied in tone, the overwhelming sentiment pointed to anguish over the irreversible personal and social damage caused by wrongful incarceration.

The Lawyer Who Helped Reopen the Case

Tiwari’s appeal remained pending before the Allahabad High Court for nearly 16 years after being marked as “defective”—a term generally used for appeals with missing documents or procedural errors that must be rectified before hearings can proceed. In his case, these defects were never addressed, and the appeal remained dormant for years.

The High Court later observed that the Uttar Pradesh government also failed to consider commuting his life sentence even after he had completed 14 years in prison, as required under remission norms.

The case saw movement only in 2019, when legal aid lawyer Shweta Singh Rana was appointed to represent Tiwari after jail authorities approached the High Court. Compiling the paper book—a complete record of lower court proceedings—took nearly two years.

After reviewing the evidence, a division bench comprising Justices Kaushal Jayendra Thaker and Gautam Chaudhary acquitted Vishnu Tiwari of all charges, bringing an end to a 20-year-long miscarriage of justice—but leaving behind questions that continue to haunt India’s criminal justice system.