Vishnu Tiwari’s Struggle: Rebuilding Life After 20 Years Wrongfully Imprisoned
In 2001, Vishnu Tiwari was jailed for a crime he did not commit. Convicted of rape and charged under the SC/ST Act, he spent 20 years behind bars before the Allahabad High Court acquitted him in March 2021, deeming the charges false.
At 43, Tiwari returns to a world transformed. “I had only heard of phones back then; there were just STD booths. I had never seen mobiles, only heard that they exist,” he said. “Everything has changed now, my village, my district. It feels like a whole new world.”
During his imprisonment, Tiwari lost his parents and two brothers without being able to attend their funerals. “What is worse for a son than not being able to see his dying parents’ faces one last time?” he lamented. “I couldn’t even make a phone call home.”
Now, Tiwari faces the daunting task of starting over with no education, skills, or family support. “How will I start my life now at 43?” he asked. “I cannot even marry; my only brother is now a monk.”
Tiwari’s nightmare began in September 2000, when he was falsely accused of assaulting, raping, and beating a woman five months pregnant. Despite securing bail, he was arrested again in 2001 and spent two years as an undertrial before being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003.
He challenged his conviction in 2005, but his petition was deemed defective. The Allahabad High Court, in acquitting him, noted the lack of medical evidence supporting the charges and the complainant’s failure to disclose key details about Tiwari’s residence in Texas. The court found no injuries or signs of forcible intercourse and highlighted the underlying land dispute as a possible motive for the false accusation.
Tiwari attributes his plight to a land and animal dispute. “It was a fight over our lands and animals. I never imagined that due to their greed, I would have to stay in jail for 20 years,” he said. During his imprisonment, he often felt hopeless, but dreams of Mata Rani gave him strength.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken notice of Tiwari’s wrongful incarceration, issuing notices to Uttar Pradesh’s chief secretary and director general of police. The NHRC has requested a detailed report and actions taken for Tiwari’s rehabilitation under Section 433 CrPc, which allows the government to commute sentences.
Now, at 43, Tiwari must navigate a new world, seeking to rebuild a life interrupted by two decades of unjust imprisonment.
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