washington dc1 minute ago
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Subramaniam Vedam of Indian origin, who was imprisoned in America for 43 years on false charges, has got relief for the time being.
Two different courts have currently banned their deportation to India. Now the matter will go to the Immigration Appeal Board, whose decision may take a few months.
Vedam, 64, was released on October 3. Vedam, is a permanent US resident. In 1980, he was accused of murdering his classmate.
Although Vedam always claimed his innocence, he was convicted twice in 1983 and 1988 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
After his release in October, he was again detained by the Immigration Department as soon as he came out of jail. Vedam is currently lodged in a deportation center in Louisiana.
Case of murder allegation proved false
Vedam was accused of murdering his friend Thomas Kinser in 1980. He was the last person to see Kinser. Without witnesses and solid evidence, he was convicted twice and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In August this year, new ballistic evidence came to light, which the prosecution had previously hidden. After this the court canceled his sentence.
He was to be released from jail on October 3, but on the same day the Immigration Department took him into custody again and started the process of deportation.
Vedam went to America at the age of 9 months
Subramaniam Vedam came to the United States legally with his parents at the age of nine months. His father was a professor at Penn State University and the entire family lived in State College.
Vedam is a ‘Legal Permanent Resident’ of America. According to lawyers, his citizenship application was approved, but in 1982 he was falsely accused of murder and arrested.
Vedam’s sister Saraswati Vedam said, “We are happy that the two courts have held that he should not be deported. We hope the courts will also understand that sending him back to India would be another grave injustice.”
He said, “He has been in prison for 43 years for a crime he did not commit and has lived his entire life in America. It would be wrong to deport him now.”
Why does ICE want to deport?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wants to deport Vedam to India on the basis of a 40-year-old drug case. At the age of 20, he had a ‘no-contest’ plea in a case related to LSD drug supply.
Lawyers say Vedam, who was wrongly imprisoned for 40 years, completed his education and taught prisoners. In such a situation, the old case should no longer become the basis for deportation.
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