Will a clean chit for Ashok Kumar restore his life?
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Will a clean chit for Ashok Kumar restore his life?

Ashok Kumar's lawyer, Mohit Verma, has moved court to clear his name. He will appear before a district judge today. But will that change anything?

Will a clean chit for Ashok Kumar restore his life?

On September 8, Gurgaon Police arrested Ashok Kumar, the school bus conductor, for the gruesome murder of 8-year-old Pradyuman Thakur of Ryan International School, Bhondsi.  

Tortured and humiliated, Ashok claims to have been forced to confess under duress.   

Later, the CBI charged a Class XI Commerce student of the same school with the murder. Ashok, however, was not given a clean chit.

Gurgaon civil court recently granted him bail on a bond of Rs 50,000. His lawyer, Mohit Verma, has moved court to clear his name. He will appear before a district judge today.

But will it be any comfort for a man snatched from a humble life? Will he be able to restore his life, provide for his family again? But he must, as he is the only breadwinner.

His face has been etched in public memory for a crime he says he was not party to. Will anybody trust him around children again? Not likely.

Speaking to City Spidey, head of a transport company, Naveen Mehlawat, said, "If tomorrow he approaches my company for work, I will certainly be hesitant to keep him. He may not be the prime accused any more, but doubts will always linger. Any face associated with that incident will not be treated kindly.”

Another transport supervisor of a reputed school said on condition of anonymity, "The children have seen his face. This case has received a lot of media attention. It will be difficult to create the trust factor in people, in parents.”

Damage to reputation is irreparable, said another transport supervisor, Ved Pal. "Even if I keep him, parents will feel extremely insecure. It's sad, but I need to think about my business.”

Is the damage inflicted by Gurgaon Police on a family of six, with only one earner, not criminal enough to call for a compensation?