Suspended Delhi University lecturer S A R Geelani, one of the two persons acquitted by the Delhi high court on Wednesday in the Parliament attack case, was released from the Tihar jail on Thursday morning after nearly 23 months of imprisonment.

Also see:  Geelani, Navjot Sandhu acquitted

Dodging a large posse of reporters and cameramen gathered at the prison gate to capture the reunion of Geelani with
his family, the DU lecturer was released from a gate used exclusively by the jail's director general.

Geelani, who was arrested on December 15, 2001, was whisked away by civil rights activist Nandita Haksar and his family members to an undisclosed location.

It was later learnt that Geelani went straight to lawyer Ram Jethmalani's residence to thank him for arguing his case.

Speaking to reporters later, Geelani said he had never lost hope and was happy to be a free man again.

At Jethmalani's residence, Geelani was welcomed by the lawyer, his wife and other family members and friends.

Geelani's wife, Arifa, had stationed herself outside the jail's gates at the crack of dawn along with her son and father-in-law, Mohammed Abdullah.

She refused to answer any questions from the media, but Abdullah said he knew from the very beginning that his son was innocent.

Complete coverage of the attack on Parliament