After 40 Years, Conviction Overturned for Indian Citizen

Thu Apr 02 2026 18:30:21 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Subramanyam Vedam's murder conviction has been cleared, but uncertainty looms as deportation to India awaits.

A judge in Pennsylvania has cleared the way for Subramanyam Vedam, who spent 40 years in prison for a murder he insists he didn't commit, to potentially be released. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is looking to deport him to India. Vedam, who is known for his community work and academic aspirations, challenges his deportation amidst lingering drug-related convictions. His attorney aims for his release on bond after a federal judge recognized his rehabilitation.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A judge cleared the way Thursday for the potential release of an Indian citizen who was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody last year after his Pennsylvania murder conviction was overturned following four decades in prison.

The decision came after a four-hour hearing where Subramanyam Vedam insisted he did not fatally shoot Thomas Kinser in 1980. The federal government aims to deport the 64-year-old to India, which he left as a baby in 1962.

U.S. Immigration Judge Adam Panopoulos stated Vedam demonstrated rehabilitation and did not pose a danger to society, citing his initiatives to improve inmate literacy and family ties. While DHS has a month to appeal, Vedam's lawyer plans to seek his release on bond, expressing his desire to live with a relative in California and pursue doctoral studies in anthropology.

Despite being exonerated for murder, Vedam's past drug convictions pose challenges for him. His case raises questions about justice and the potential impacts of long-term incarceration.