By Utkarsh Anand
New Delhi, Apr 18 : George Kemei is good at table tennis , loves to help others with studies, spends hours in the library with books and wants to make it to the civil services.
Kemei’s (23) qualifications landed him job offers from companies that carried out the first campus placement drive — at Tihar Jail.
Charged with the murder of his girlfriend in 2009, Kemei’s placement was perhaps the first sign of his luck finally taking a turn for the better.
Last week, Central Jail No 3 in Tihar lost its librarian as its formidable iron gates were opened for Kemei. This came after a city court acquitted him of the accusations.
Puncturing holes in the prosecution’s version, Additional Sessions Judge Madhu Jain noted that Kemei’s criminality could not be proved beyond doubt and ordered his immediate release.
The judge, convinced by Kemei’s innocence, further did away with the requirement of his furnishing a surety bond and directed for his release upon submitting a personal bond of Rs 10,000.
The court doled out this reprieve after Kemei submitted that he was from Manipur and had nobody in the city to provide his surety.
Kemei also assured the court that he would present himself before the Delhi High Court if the prosecution decided to challenge his acquittal in future.
A relieved Kemei also thanked his counsel, amicus curiae Vikram Singh Saini.
“This is nothing short of a rebirth for me. I can finally pick up the pieces of my life and move on,” Kemei, who had been studying for UPSC exams even inside the prison, said in the courtroom after the judgment.
On February 25, Kemei earned the distinction of being the first inmate to be given an appointment letter — as a research assistant for JRA & Associates, in addition to an offer of marketing associate for ASP Svealing Products.
He was released on Thursday afternoon.
Tihar’s law officer Sunil Gupta confirmed his release.
Gupta remembered Kemei as a person who held on to the belief that he would achieve his goals one day. “He was a very good table tennis player and participated in all sporting events inside the prison.
He also took English-speaking classes for other inmates and taught computers.”
Gupta said Kemei maintained the library as he was very fond of reading books. Kemei, a native of Nagaland, was brought up in Manipur.
“Whenever asked him about his dream, he said he wanted to do something for the development of the Northeastern states of the country. He said these states had been neglected for long and he wanted to serve there and do his bit,” Gupta said.
Kemei was arrested in May 2009 after his girlfriend’s body was found in the Ridge area of North Delhi.
Police had claimed that Kemei, with the help of his nephew, had murdered Lili as she was putting pressure on him to marry her. Police had also claimed to have recorded the confessional statement of Kemei.
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