This seems like injustice, not delayed justice, as some think it is.

Zhao Zuohai spent 11 long years in jail for a murder he did not commit, and surely, for a "crime" he must have admitted to under "duress".

Still, humble Zhao thanked his prison warders for being "considerate" during all the years he spent in prison on a clearly, wrongful conviction. He bowed to the judges when they announced he was innocent and ordered his release.

The simple act should make the prosecutors cringe, and the society at large, ashamed.

Zhao might never have walked free had his "victim" - who was presumed killed by Zhao after a fracas nearly 12 years ago - not returned to their village. At least, he has reasons to celebrate. He was given a quick retrial and is now back home. Compensation too is on its way. And, those responsible for the grievous error should, hopefully, be punished.

This may appear to be a fairy-tale ending to a story of protracted injustice, but facts point in the other direction.

A case similar to that of Zhao's shocked the nation five years back. She Xianglin of Hubei province was declared innocent after his wife, who prosecutors alleged he had murdered, reappeared. By then, She had spent 11 years behind bars.

It is unclear if Zhao's or She's cases would be the last.

It is alleged that torture forced She Xianglin to confess to the presumed murder. Zhao, too, had reportedly "confessed" to the crime on five separate occasions.

We cannot afford to let the judiciary turn into a fount of injustice, and menace to society. Every effort must be made to uphold justice at all costs.