Raj Vir from Mainpuri spent 17 years fighting a false Gangsters Act case due to a police mistake. He was finally acquitted after 300 hearings and 22 days in jail for a crime his brother committed.
In a heartbreaking case from Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, 62-year-old Raj Vir has finally been declared innocent after fighting a false case for 17 long years. He was wrongly accused under the Gangsters Act, a serious charge that destroyed his peace, reputation, and family life.
The real accused was his brother, Ram Vir, but due to a clerical mistake by the police, Raj Vir’s name was wrongly entered in the case.
The incident dates back to August 31, 2008, when the Kotwali police filed a case under the Gangsters Act. But instead of naming Ram Vir, the actual accused, the police officer mistakenly wrote ‘Raj Vir’ as the accused. This small error turned out to be a life-changing tragedy for an innocent man.
Raj Vir was arrested and sent to jail. He spent 22 days behind bars before he got bail. But that was just the beginning of his long struggle to prove his innocence.
“My client kept pleading that he had no criminal record. Nobody heard him. He was arrested, jailed for 22 days before getting a bail, and then left to fight the system alone,”
said Vinod Kumar Yadav, his lawyer.
Even after getting bail, Raj Vir had to attend around 300 court hearings, travelling between Agra and Mainpuri, where the case was transferred in 2012. During this time, he lost all his savings, and his family also suffered deeply.
Yadav said,
“He could hardly focus on his family,”
Raj Vir’s two daughters, including one who is specially-abled, are now married. His son, Gaurav, had to drop out of school and started working as a farm labourer to support the family.
Once a hardworking and hopeful man, Raj Vir found himself stuck in a battle with the legal system. The false accusation ruined his peace of mind and damaged his social image. The years spent going to court, the financial loss, and the pain his family endured left him completely broken.
Finally, on July 24, 2025, Special Judge Swapna Deep Singhal gave him justice. In the judgment, the court clearly blamed the police for their carelessness.
The court said in its order,
“Due to gross negligence by the police and authorities, an innocent person had to suffer 22 days in prison and had to contest a false case in court for 17 years,”
Although the court decision gave Raj Vir some relief, the damage done over 17 years cannot be erased. His old age and tired body now reflect the burden of injustice he had to carry.
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Today, Raj Vir lives quietly in his home in Mainpuri, away from the spotlight and still affected by the years lost in the legal battle. For him, justice came too late.
“Justice came,” his lawyer said, “but it should not have taken this long. No innocent man should have to beg the system for 17 years.”
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