Vikram Buddhi

Vikram S. Buddhi (born 10 May 1971) is an Indian Ph.D student and teaching assistant at Purdue University who was imprisoned by United States authorities in 2006 for writing content criticizing George W. Bush, which involved direct death threats via his Yahoo account, and publishing them online.[1][2][3] He was released from prison but was re-arrested immediately by the Department of Immigration for not possessing a valid visa, and has been deported to India.[4]

Vikram Buddhi
Born1971 (age 49–50)
India
OccupationStudent and Teaching Assistant
Criminal statusReleased
Parent(s)Captain Buddhi K Subbarao and Syamala Buddhi
Criminal chargethreatening the life of George W. Bush and Bush's family
Penaltysentenced to 57 months of prison

Biography

Buddhi was born to Syamala Buddhi and Captain Buddhi K Subbarao.[5] His father was a senior defense scientist with the Indian navy who had been tried for leaking naval secrets in 1988. However he was acquitted in 1993.[6] The charges were that he was leaking naval secrets which turned out to be his own PhD thesis which was a document available freely in libraries of reputed institutions of Nuclear Research.

Arrest

Buddhi was arrested on 14 April 2006 and found guilty of threatening the life of a US President in 2007.[7] Earlier on Friday, 3 February 2006, Buddhi was questioned by the Secret Service who made a formal report saying that Buddhi was not a threat to the US President or any Secret Service protected person.[7]

Trial

The prosecution has alleged that Buddhi posted messages on a Yahoo business discussion forum which appeared in December 2005 and January 2006 calling upon the people of Iraq to retaliate against Iraq war and kill then president George W. Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney and their spouses. Buddhi's lawyer Somnath Bharti has alleged that the indictment did not mention any of the alleged charges and the prosecution failed to establish Buddhi as the author of the messages although they originated from a Purdue University IP address. Buddhi had hacked the Yahoo ID's of thousands of Purdue University Students, then used those hacked stolen ID's to spread anti-Bush, Anti-War messages across Yahoo's Discussion Boards, using an automated software program known as a "Bot".[8]

Reaction

Buddhi has received considerable support from the alumni and staff of the IITs, who have joined with his father and lobbied for his release with External Affairs Minister, SM Krishna[1] and former US President Bill Clinton.[2]

See also
  • Dr. Buddhi Kotasubbarao, "Roxana Saberi And Vikram Buddhi – Compel A Comparison," 21 April 2009, countercurrents.org
  • Buddhi v. USA, Motion to Vacate / Correct Illegal Sentence, filed 15 April 2013, Indiana Northern District Court

References
  1. PTI (7 October 2009). "IIT teachers, students demand release of Vikram Buddhi". Daily News & Analysis. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  2. NDTV Correspondent (6 October 2009). "Will Clinton help free IIT alumnus from US jail?". NDTV. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. "Vikram Buddhi not giving up". Times Now. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  4. "Newspaper Report", The Times of India, 6 July 2011
  5. Singh, Vijay (10 May 2009). "Free my son, make me happy: Mother's Day plea to Obama". Times of India. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  6. Singh, Vijay (21 April 2006). "Vikram has been framed". Times of India. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. "Student jailed indefinitely over alleged anti-Bush remark". Russia Today. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  8. "Indian student languishes in US jail, alleges abuse". The Economic Times. 18 October 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
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