'Life has returned': Ex-SP MLA Irfan Solanki upon Kanpur return after over 1,000 days in jail

''Life has returned,'' sighed Samajwadi Party leader and former MLA Irfan Solanki, as he stepped back into public life after spending nearly three years behind bars.

Solanki, the former MLA from Sisamau in Kanpur, was sent to jail on December 2, 2022. He is facing 10 cases.

''Main aur meri tanhaiyaan aksar yahi sab baatein karti theen (My solitude and I often had long conversations in jail),'' he added poetically, recalling his time in solitary confinement.

Released from Maharajganj District Jail on Tuesday after 34 months in custody, Solanki received a hero's welcome upon arriving at his Kanpur residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

On September 25, the high court granted bail to Solanki in a Gangsters Act case, which was the last pending case against him. His release was initially scheduled for the following day, but he could not come out due to a delay in the transfer of high court documents to the jail authorities.

Hundreds of supporters gathered to greet him well past midnight, bursting crackers, showering flowers and chanting slogans such as ''Jail ke taale toot gaye, Irfan Solanki chhoot gaye (the jail locks have broken, Irfan Solanki is free)'' and ''Sher aaya, sher aaya (the lion has returned)''.

Despite the 3 am arrival, large crowds gathered outside his home. ''This kind of love doesn't come easily,'' Solanki said, adding, ''One must have done something right in life to earn it.'' Speaking to reporters, the former SP MLA expressed relief and gratitude at being reunited with his family after over 1,000 days of incarceration. He thanked his supporters for standing by his family, especially in the recent bypolls, where his wife Naseem Solanki won the Sisamau assembly seat.

''It was their struggle and their trust that made my wife an MLA. Allah never left me alone. He tests, but He also grants victory,'' Solanki said.

The former MLA reiterated that the cases against him were ''completely false'' and said he reposed confidence in the legal process.

''Just as I've come out of this case, I will also walk free in the ED (Enforcement Directorate) matter. I have full faith in the judiciary,'' he said.

He also acknowledged the composite culture of Kanpur's electorate, praising voters for standing firm in the face of alleged ''government pressure''.

''Hindus and Muslims saw it as their own election. People voted as if I were contesting. That is why the seat remained with my family,'' he said.

Solanki confirmed he had spoken with party president Akhilesh Yadav, who is currently abroad.

''When he returns, I will meet him,'' he said, adding that Dimple Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and other senior leaders had actively campaigned for his wife.

He ended on an optimistic note, hinting at plans for a formal press conference soon.

''Time is powerful, give it time, and it changes. My time has begun to change. Today, Umar Ansari is free, and so am I. This Dussehra and Diwali, we will celebrate at home,'' he said.

Solanki was referring to the release of the gangster-turned-politician late Mukhtar Ansari's younger son Umar Ansari, who got released from the Kasganj Jail on Tuesday after nearly 40 days. He was booked for forgery.

Recently, another veteran SP leader Azam Khan, an accused in multiple cases, was released on bail from Sitapur jail after nearly two years of imprisonment following a high court order.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)