Suspended Delhi University lecturer S A R Geelani, who was acquitted by the Delhi high court in the Parliament attack case, was on Thursday released from Tihar Jail after spending nearly 23 months behind bars.

Hordes of reporters and cameramen waiting to cover his release were disappointed as he was taken out of the jail from Gate No 4 (used by the Director General of the prison).

Geelani's acquittal: Will it help Kashmir?

"I have taken him from a different gate to avoid the media glare as he (Geelani) needs to have some time with his family members," civil rights activist Nandita Haksar told PTI.

Haksar was waiting at the main gate along with Geelani's wife Arifa and his father-in-law Mohammed Abdullah.

"From the very beginning, when he was arrested, we were convinced of his innocence and that he will be acquitted. There was no solid evidence against him," Abdullah told mediapersons and thanked veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani for arguing Geelani's case.

Arifa refused to speak to mediapersons.

Immediately after his release, Geelani went to former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani's residence and thanked the eminent lawyer, who had argued his case, for his unflinching support.

He later told NDTV: "I am happy. I never lost hope and had faith in the almighty."

PTI