‘I am tired…’: Man confesses to crime after 49 yrs, walks free with Rs 2K fine

Kanpur: Nearly five decades after being accused of theft and forgery, 71-year-old Kanhaiya Lal finally stood in a Jhansi courtroom and confessed to a crime committed in 1976 — not in pursuit of leniency, but out of exhaustion.

“I am tired. I am now 71 years old and have grown weary of appearing in court again and again. I no longer have the strength to fight this case. I confess the crime, and I want it to end,” he told the Chief Judicial Magistrate on Saturday, his voice heavy with fatigue.

Lal, a former peon at the LSS Cooperative Society in Jhansi’s Bamanus village, had been facing charges of embezzlement and criminal conspiracy for 49 years. The case, emblematic of India’s grinding judicial backlog, began when then-society secretary Bihari Lal Gautam filed a complaint in 1976, accusing Lal and two others — Lakshmi Prasad and Raghunath — of stealing a receipt book, a Rs 150 wristwatch, and misappropriating funds using forged documents.

Investigations found that forged receipts with fake signatures had been used to collect Rs 14,472 from society members. Lakshmi Prasad alone was accused of embezzling Rs 23,887.40. All three men were arrested and later released on bail.

But while Lakshmi Prasad and Raghunath died over the years, Lal remained the lone surviving accused. He diligently appeared for court hearings until 2012, after which the case went dormant. In 2021, a non-bailable warrant was issued, and charges were reframed.

On Saturday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Munnalal convicted Lal under IPC sections 457 (housebreaking), 380 (theft), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 120B (criminal conspiracy). Yet, considering his age, health, the years spent under trial, and his voluntary confession, the court imposed only a fine of Rs 2,000 — Rs 300 each under five sections, and Rs 500 under Section 467. Lal paid the fine and walked free, finally returning to his home in Gwalior.

Legal experts say the case is yet another stark reminder of India’s clogged courts.

“This pendency of cases is not unusual in our judicial system,” said GS Chauhan, senior advocate at the Lucknow High Court. “We urgently need more district courts and faster timelines for case disposal.”

Special prosecution officer Akhilesh Maurya acknowledged the long delay. “The gap in proceedings significantly derailed justice. This was a case that should have ended decades ago.”

In the end, justice was delivered — but not before it consumed half a lifetime.