Hem Mishra was a graduate student at Jawaharlal Nehru University when he was first arrested in 2013 from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district. He was accused of working as a messenger for the proscribed outfit CPI Maoist and charged with waging war against the country. On March 7, 2017, Hem and five other persons were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Gadchiroli sessions court. On March 5, 2024, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted Hem and five other accused in the case. After his release Mishra talked to Outlook’s Vikram Raj about his imprisonment, trial and experiences.