Convicted in 1982 for the 1977 murder of fellow villager Prabhu Pasi, Lakhan Lal had been serving a life sentence despite long maintaining his innocence.

A resident of Kaushambi district, Lakhan Lal had challenged the district court's verdict in the Allahabad High Court. Although the High Court eventually acquitted him, technical delays and administrative negligence stalled his release.

His family fought tirelessly for his freedom, appealing to the Supreme Court, the Chief Minister, the Law Minister, and seeking assistance from the District Legal Services Authority.

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Despite these efforts, his release remained in limbo until District Legal Services Authority Secretary Purnima Pranjal and legal advisor Ankit Maurya intervened.

They appealed to the Allahabad High Court again and submitted a direct complaint to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This finally led the court to order Lakhan Lal's immediate release.

On Tuesday, he walked out of prison a free man. His family welcomed him with open arms, although the long separation had taken its toll. So much so, that he even failed to recognize some of his relatives after so many years. He later went to live at his daughter's home.

Lakhan Lal expressed deep happiness and relief at being home after decades of unjust imprisonment.

His case has reignited serious discussion about the staggering backlog in Indian courts and the enormous delays in delivering justice, causing delays that can consume entire lifetimes.