Ex-SP MLA Rameshwar Yadav released after 3 years in jail; emotional return to Etah

Etah (UP), Oct 7 (PTI) Former Samajwadi Party MLA Rameshwar Singh Yadav, who represented the Aliganj Assembly constituency three times, was released from jail after over three years.

His return to his hometown on Tuesday turned emotional, as supporters welcomed him with garlands and cheers.

During a public address in Jaithra, Yadav broke down on stage while speaking about his imprisonment.

"These sufferings and false allegations have left me unfit to live," he said, with tears in his eyes, moving many of his supporters to silence before they erupted in slogans hailing him.

The former legislator said his release on September 26 on bail from the Allahabad High Court was kept confidential, claiming that if news of it had leaked, he and his brother, Jugendra Singh Yadav, "would not have been allowed to step out of jail." Yadav alleged that several criminal cases had been filed against him by women he had never even met.

"Many of these cases are fabricated and politically motivated," he said, adding that both he and his brother were granted bail by the Allahabad High Court. Each of them faces around 100 criminal cases, he claimed.

When Yadav reached his RS Cold Storage unit after being freed, supporters lifted him on their shoulders amid chants of "Zindabad". Some were seen weeping as they embraced him. A video of the emotional reunion has since surfaced on social media.

Expressing gratitude to his supporters, Yadav said, "This was the toughest test of my life, but my workers stood by me and didn't let me break." PTI COR KIS HIG