There were no songs and fluttering clouds when 75-year-old Mudavat Ramulu Naik finally got to meet his wife Laxmi after 17 years out of captivity. No, they did not get separated in a mela or on state borders. Both of them had been undergoing imprisonment in connection with the death of their daughter-in-law in 1998.
The court imposed life sentence in 1999. Initially, it was all okay because the couple were sent to Cherlapalli jail in Hyderabad and could meet each other at least once a month. It was only a year ago that Ramulu was transferred to Karimnagar jail.
The state government in all its goodness decided to release them on the grounds of good behaviour. The couple, apparently, had been feeling lonely for the last one year and were eager to meet as early as possible.
The Karimnagar jail authorities brought Laxmi from Cherlapalli prison by arranging a vehicle and felicitated them with new clothes and sweets on jail premises, where their two daughters and son were also present.
Naik was one among seven prisoners who was released from Karimnagar district jail. While Ramulu spent 16 years in jail, six others underwent imprisonment for nine years. All of them were imprisoned in Warangal and Karimnagar jails in connection with murder cases.
All the family members and relatives of other prisoners were also around to receive the freed jail birds.
