"When I was asked to come to the Bur Dubai police station, I did not expect to stay behind bars for this long. I went in thinking I would walk out in a few hours. So, I was not prepared to face the ensuing legal and financial crisis. My wife Indu became a scapegoat."

Body in prison, soul outside
Ramachandran was sentenced to three years by a Dubai court in November 2015. "I survived 33 months by telling myself that only my body is in prison. My soul is still free and with the people," he said recounting the hardships and uncertainty.

"I had not given up hope. I knew I would rise from the ashes. one day. I used to call Indu many times a day from jail. She was my biggest strength. I used the time to reflect on life and I have penned down nearly 300 pages of my life story. But that is only one fifth of what I want to tell the world."

Who released him?
Ramachandran, who was himself the brand ambassador for Atlas' advertisements, was a household name for the Keralite community. So, it was natural that everyone wanted to see the businessman out of trouble.

Putting the over-worked rumour mills on rest, Ramachandran clarified that his release was made possible only after all the lending banks agreed to sign a standstill agreement to put on hold legal cases against him. "There were some private lenders who also had to agree. And there were some procedural delays as well in the last months before I could walk out free," he said.

Ramachandran said he thanked the 'Great Divine Power' and everyone who loved him for their prayers. "Mine was a financial case and it had to be settled with the lenders. Nothing less, nothing more. Lot of people supported me.

"I greatly value and appreciate the assistance rendered by Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE; and Vipul, the Indian Consul-General in Dubai; as well as their staff in their missions. I would like to put on record that I have seen with my own eyes the excellent service extended by them to each and every Indian citizen in distress.''

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