US courts block deportation of Indian-origin man acquitted after 43 years in prison

Two US courts have stepped in to stop the deportation of an Indian-origin man who spent more than 40 years behind bars for a murder he now stands cleared of. Subramanyam Vedam, 64-year-old known to his family as ‘Subu’ is currently being held at an immigration detention centre in Louisiana that even has its own airstrip for rapid deportations, according to reports.

An immigration judge last week reportedly ordered that Vedam cannot be deported until the Board of Immigration Appeals decides whether it will take up his case, a process that could stretch for months. On the same day, a federal district court in Pennsylvania also reportedly issued an order staying his removal.

Vedam, who moved to the US from India as an infant and has lived there nearly all his life, was exonerated earlier this month after a Pennsylvania court overturned his 1983 murder conviction. 

According to reports, the ruling came after it was revealed that prosecutors had withheld a crucial FBI report from the defence one that could have cast doubt on key evidence used against him.

Court documents cited by The Miami Herald stated that the report contained details about the bullet hole size in the victim’s skull, which contradicted the prosecution’s theory about the weapon used. Judge Jonathan Grine ruled that if the evidence had been disclosed, it could have changed the jury’s verdict.

Following the court’s decision, Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna reportedly dismissed all charges against Vedam, noting the passage of time and the loss of key witnesses. His exoneration made him the longest-serving wrongfully convicted person in Pennsylvania’s history, and among the longest in the US, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Vedam, who entered prison as a young man, reportedly spent his decades of incarceration educating others. He created literacy programs, helped fellow inmates earn high school diplomas, and completed multiple degrees himself – including an MBA earned with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He is said to be the first person in over 150 years at the State Prison to earn a graduate degree while incarcerated.