Two US courts halt deportation of Indian-origin man wrongfully jailed for over 43 yrs for murder he did not commit
PTC Web Desk: Two US courts have intervened to stop the deportation of an Indian-origin man, Subramanyam Vedam, who spent over 43 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit. The 64-year-old, affectionately called Subu by his family, was convicted in 1983 for the killing of his friend but was exonerated earlier this year after new evidence surfaced.
According to a report, Vedam is currently being held at a detention centre in Louisiana, which includes its own airstrip used for deportations. Last week, an immigration judge issued an order temporarily halting his deportation until the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decides whether to review his case, a process that could take several months. On the same day, a district court in Pennsylvania also stopped his deportation, providing him temporary relief.
The 1980 murder case
Vedam, who moved to the United States when he was just nine months old, was arrested in 1982 in connection with the 1980 disappearance and murder of his 19-year-old friend Thomas Kinser. Kinser’s body was discovered nine months later in the woods, and Vedam, being the last person seen with him, became the prime suspect.
He was convicted in 1983 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, with an additional two-and-a-half to five years for a minor drug offence. Vedam’s attorneys maintained that the case was built entirely on circumstantial evidence with no motive, witnesses or concrete proof linking him to the crime.
During his incarceration in Pennsylvania, Vedam earned three college degrees, worked as a teacher, and mentored fellow inmates. His family, especially his parents, who both passed away before seeing his release, spent decades fighting for justice.
In August this year, a Pennsylvania court overturned his murder conviction after his lawyers uncovered ballistics evidence that prosecutors had suppressed for decades. This discovery proved crucial in clearing his name.
Vedam was finally released from prison on October 3, 2025, after more than four decades behind bars. However, just hours after walking free, he was taken into custody by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE officials now seek to deport Vedam on the basis of his old drug conviction, arguing that the reversal of his murder case does not affect that separate offence. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also supported this stance.
Vedam’s sister and legal team have urged the authorities to consider the injustice he has already endured, stating that his wrongful imprisonment for over 43 years should far outweigh the decades-old drug charge.
For now, both court orders have provided Vedam temporary protection from deportation, as the legal battle over his future in the US continues.
- With inputs from agencies
