After almost 15 years, Ravinder Navi has returned to his family’s post office. He was wrongly convicted of theft as a result of the Horizon computer scandal. It was the first time he had come back to the post office since he was convicted. Mr Nava falsely pleaded guilty to stealing £35,000 back in February 2010 when auditors discovered an alleged shortfall at his mother’s Greenock post office. The appeal judges overturned his conviction, ending his ordeal.
When he was put on trial, he says he took responsibility for the theft because he was worried about the strain it would put on his mother’s wellbeing. He was afraid that she wouldn’t survive a potential prison sentence. After he was released from prison, he began his four years of devotion to clearing his name by making an appeal against the conviction.
Mr Nava said that “I feel if I hadn’t done what I did 15 years ago, I wouldn’t be sitting here now getting my conviction overturned. I’d have been sitting here now getting a letter saying that my dead mum was being exonerated,”. The Post Office Horizon scandal has been happening for years, eight victims of the injustice have been cleared through the courts system in Scotland alone.
Being able to return to the post office is a huge relief. It’s where he spent many of his childhood days, and his family has owned the post office for decades. He was forced to walk away from it after he was convicted. He’s now hoping that this clears the path for him to have a more normal life and to put the past behind him. “I am elated; it’s the end of a long and painful journey. I’ve done nothing wrong and I’ll always fight for my mother’s legacy and the legacy of the family business,” he said
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