After spending more than four decades in prison and repeatedly avoiding deportation for a murder conviction that was later overturned, Indian-born Subramaniam “Subu” Vedam has won a landmark legal battle to remain in the United States.A US immigration judge has ruled that Vedam, 64, can remain in the country, rejecting efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport him. The decision comes after a hearing in which the court found that Vedam had demonstrated rehabilitation and did not pose any threat to the public.Judge Adam Panopoulos said Vedam “has grown as a person” and “has begun to dedicate himself to enriching other people’s lives, and ultimately his own, through academic study and enrichment”. The judge said that allowing him to remain “would be in the best interests of the United States”.Vedam was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year when he was about to be released from prison after serving a murder sentence. He spent more than 40 years behind bars for the 1980 murder of Thomas Kinser in Pennsylvania, a crime he has consistently denied.During a hearing, Vedam told the court, “I was young and stupid and I did a lot of stupid things.” He stated that he was innocent of the murder charge and said, “I have never stopped saying that I am innocent of this charge.”Even though the murder charge was acquitted, Vedam still faced deportation due to separate drug-related convictions from his younger years. As a teenager, he pleaded no contest to selling LSD, which authorities said made him eligible for deportation.At the hearing, a DHS attorney argued that Vedam should still be deported, pointing to past crimes including drug distribution, DUI and theft. But the court took Vedam’s side. His conduct over the decades in prison, his efforts in education and guidance, were all taken into account. Vedam earned several degrees, helped improve literacy among prisoners, and built strong relationships with his family.The judge said the evidence showed “genuine rehabilitation, consistent demonstration of good moral character over the past 40 years and strong family ties and communal support”.Vedam was born in Mumbai and moved to America in his childhood. He grew up in Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a physics professor. At the time of his arrest in 1982, he was close to becoming a US citizen.After the verdict, Vedam’s lawyer said that she would seek his release on bond. When released, he plans to live with relatives in California and has been offered a place in a doctoral program in applied anthropology.DHS has 30 days to appeal the decision. Till then Vedam will remain in custody.