NRI ( Page 72 of 83 )

Dharun Ravi trial: MB testifies having sexual relations with Tyler March 03, 2012 15:51

A mystery man known only as MB testified that he had sexual relations with a student in Rutgers university dorm room on the two nights they allegedly were spied on by Indian-American student Dharun Ravi. The student Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge after discovering that his roommate, Ravi had been allegedly attempting to record his sexual encounter with another man in Sep 2010. Ravi was charged with bias intimidation as a hate crime, along with invasion of privacy and hindering apprehension. He is not being charged in connection with Clementi’s death. Testifying for the prosecution in New Brunswick, New Jersey superior court, M.B. said he noticed the camera on a computer pointed toward the bed the first time he had sexual relations with Clementi on Sep. 19. M.B. said the webcam was not there on Sep. 21, the second, and last, time they had sexual relations. “While we were intimate on the bed, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the webcam facing toward the bed, which I thought was kind of strange,” M.B. said. “Being in a compromising position, it seemed kind of strange.” M.B. testified that the camera that he described as shaped like “a business card” was not there the last time he saw Clementi on Sep 21. M.B. who appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s with full, but short, black hair told of how he first came into contact with Clementi via a gay website, Adam4Adam, before they set up their first meeting via text messages and online messages at Clementi’s dorm room on Thursday, Sep 16. Ravi’s attorney, Steven Altman, cross examined M.B. for about 90 minutes asking questions concerning messages and plans exchanged between M.B. and Clementi, particularly from Sep 16, when the two first met, until Sep 21, their last meeting. In particular, Altman wanted to know why the two did not meet in person until Sunday, Sep 19, after their first meeting on Sep 16. M.B. said Clementi had trouble contacting Ravi during that time to ask to have the room to himself for some time. M.B. vaguely recalled being busy or having to work. “There was discussion about meeting again,” M.B. said regarding correspondence he had with Clementi after their first meeting “We wanted to see each other every single day. We had a good relationship.”

South Carolina to be partner with India: Nikki Haley March 03, 2012 15:30

Proud of her Indian heritage, South Carolina’s Indian American governor Nikki Haley says she wanted an opportunity to partner with India, since becoming chief executive, and now those talks are underway. “As I became governor, what I saw was an opportunity – it’s an opportunity to partner with a country that continues to be strong when it comes to jobs and…in innovation,” Haley told reporters in the state capital Columbia Wednesday after a meeting with visiting Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao. “And so what I’ve asked is, ‘how do we get Indian companies to come and do business in South Carolina?’ I talked to the ambassador, and we are going to continue to talk.” Rao, who has been visiting South Carolina, said “I am exceptionally happy to be here.” “In the last two days, I’ve been to Charleston, and I’ve been here in Columbia, and I’ve had discussions with Governor Haley and her team. We’ve looked at the ways to cement better relations between India and South Carolina. “There are immense possibilities because this is really in many senses a time of awakening when it comes to India-US relations. “We have a number of Indian companies that do business in the United States, that have invested here, and what I’m going to try to do is to see that we have Indian companies come to South Carolina. “ “South Carolina provides a very conducive environment for foreign investment and which is what Indian companies would look to,” Rao said. Praising Haley as epitomizing the achievements of Indian Americans in the US, she said: “”She (Haley) is a star back home. We love her for achievements. In many ways, she epitomizes the achievements of the Indian American community in this country; all that they have done to make America proud and to make India proud.” Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Sikh immigrant parents, Haley is the first Indian American woman and the second Indian American governor of a US State after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Both are from the Republican Party.

Rajat Gupta, Rajaratnam had animosity: Defence lawyer March 03, 2012 15:08

The defence team of Goldman Sachs Group’s Indian American director Rajat Gupta, accused of insider trading, is seeking material to show “animosity” between Gupta and convicted hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam. Gupta’s poor relationship with…

Nikki Haley skips White House dinner to meet friends February 29, 2012 18:53

South Carolina’s Indian-American Republican Governor Nikki Haley criticised President Barack Obama’s “failure to handle America”, but said “personal plans” kept her and husband Michael from attending Sunday’s White House dinner. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the dinner annually for the governors to coincide with the National Governors Association conference in Washington. “We were meeting with friends,” Haley told reporters Monday, following a press conference organised by the Republican Governors Association (RGA). Haley said she and her husband “were honoured” to attend the White House dinner last year — her first as governor — but wanted to see friends Sunday night. Haley attended Monday morning’s meeting with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, where the president stressed the importance of education policy. Haley later joined fellow Republican governors, Indian-American Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Bob McDonnell of Virginia, at the RGA press conference to blast Obama’s policies and urge the election of a Republican president. In addition to stressing the Republican message on business and education issues, Haley, who has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney, said Obama was coming in the way of development in her state. “In South Carolina, we can’t even pass our own bills without him getting in the way,” she said. “We pass illegal immigration reform, he stops it. We pass voter ID, he stops it. We get Boeing, he stops it.” “I mean, I’d just like to be a governor and be able to take care of my state. The president’s trying to handle the entire country, and he’s failing,” Haley said.

Witness testified against NRI to escape charges February 29, 2012 18:44

Indian American Dharun Ravi urged other students to spy on his roommate's gay date, a New Jersey court was told as defence suggested a key witness agreed to testify to have criminal charges against her…

Birt-Indian Killed ex-Boyfriend February 27, 2012 18:40

An Indian origin medical student in Britain has been found guilty of playing a role in a plot to kill her ex-boyfriend for revenge after he tried to rape her. Twenty-year-old Mundill Mahil lured her boyfriend Gagandip Singh to her house, where he was beaten unconscious, then bundled into the boot of a car and burned alive. Mahil decided to ‘play God’ when she recruited two men to carry out the fatal attack on Singh, who she claimed had tried to rape her six months earlier, The Daily Mail reports. According to the report, Singh, a 21-year-old entrepreneur who founded a global television station dedicated to the Sikh community, was kicked, punched and struck with a camera tripod, then put into the boot of his car. The vehicle was then driven to a quiet London side street and set alight. The post-mortem examination revealed Singh was still alive when the fire began. Mahil was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm for her role in the attack, and was warned by the judge it is ‘virtually inevitable’ that she will be given a long jail sentence. Her two conspirators were also convicted of murder and manslaughter respectively. In a trial at the Old Bailey lasting more than two months, jurors were told it was a revenge killing in retaliation for an attempted rape of Mahil the year before. An Indian origin medical student in Britain has been found guilty of playing a role in a plot to kill her ex-boyfriend for revenge after he tried to rape her. Twenty-year-old Mundill Mahil lured her boyfriend Gagandip Singh to her house, where he was beaten unconscious, then bundled into the boot of a car and burned alive. Mahil decided to ‘play God’ when she recruited two men to carry out the fatal attack on Singh, who she claimed had tried to rape her six months earlier, The Daily Mail reports. According to the report, Singh, a 21-year-old entrepreneur who founded a global television station dedicated to the Sikh community, was kicked, punched and struck with a camera tripod, then put into the boot of his car. The vehicle was then driven to a quiet London side street and set alight. The post-mortem examination revealed Singh was still alive when the fire began. Mahil was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm for her role in the attack, and was warned by the judge it is ‘virtually inevitable’ that she will be given a long jail sentence. Her two conspirators were also convicted of murder and manslaughter respectively. In a trial at the Old Bailey lasting more than two months, jurors were told it was a revenge killing in retaliation for an attempted rape of Mahil the year before.

Trial of Indian student in roommate's suicide begins February 27, 2012 18:15

As a former Indian American student went on trial for spying on his roommate, who later committed suicide, with another man, prosecutors called it a hate crime and the defence a stupid teenage prank. In opening arguments on Friday at Dharun Ravi's trial, a Superior Court jury in New Brunswick, New Jersey heard two versions of a case that gay-rights advocates say underscores the problems of harassment and bullying faced by homosexual teenagers. Ravi's roommate, Tyler Clementi, 18, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge days after learning that Ravi had used a laptop webcam to secretly view him in a sexual encounter with another man. "This isn't about Dharun Ravi having to like Tyler Clementi's (sexual) orientation," Middlesex County First Assistant Prosecutor Julia McClure told the jury. "It's about having the decency to respect it."McClure called Ravi's actions "malicious and criminal," and argued that he set out to harass and intimidate Clementi because he was gay. But Steven Altman, Ravi's lawyer, asked jurors to withhold judgment until they heard all of the facts, contending that the prosecution had put a "spin" on the case that was not supported by the evidence. Ravi, who will turn 20 on Tuesday, is not a bigot and is not homophobic, Altman said. At the time of the incidents described in the criminal case, he said, his client was "an 18-year-old boy" beginning his first year in college. "Don't rush to judgment. Keep things in perspective," Altman said during a 25-minute opening in which he used the word "boy more than a dozen times to describe his client. Ravi "might have been stupid," Altman said, "but he certainly wasn't a criminal. "Ravi, who dropped out of Rutgers, the New Jersey State University, after being arrested in October 2010, has been charged in a 15-count criminal indictment. He could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if convicted of bias intimidation, a so-called hate-crime offence.

Obama's campaign reaches out to Indian Americans February 27, 2012 18:02

President Barack Obama, whose administration has by far the largest number of Indian-Americans, has turned to three prominent members of this growing and influential community to help his re-election campaign reach out to some three…

US judge orders Indian diplomat to pay $ 1.5 Million to former maid servant February 24, 2012 14:43

Manhattan federal Magistrate Judge Frank Maas has directed an Indian lady diplomat to pay a compensation of $ 1.5 million to her former domestic maid servant in the US for inflicting barbaric treatment on her, according to a report published in the New York Post. The judgment is in response to a petition filed by one Shanti Gurung who served as maid servant to the diplomat Neena Malhotra and her husband Jogesh Malhotra in their Manhattan post apartment. The daily said, quoting the judgment, that the couple had seized her passport and visa papers and forced her to work without pay for longer hours. They used to extract work from her by constantly warning her that if she travelled on her own without their permission, she would be arrested, beaten, raped and sent back to India as cargo. Gurung alleged in her suit that in bringing her over to the US in 2006 on a A-3 visa, the diplomat forced her to tell the US embassy in New Delhi that she would be paid $7 per hour. The former maid servant also said in her complaint that she was forced to lie about her age covering her minority at the US Embassy in Delhi. The judgment should be ratified by senior judge Victor Marrero, who is overseeing the case, the Post said. The judgment said the first ruling was given in the case so that the papers can be served to the couple who are presently based in Delhi. “The ruling was passed after repeated attempts to reach them failed through all channels,” said the judge in his order. (JUBS)

TANA announces Short film contest February 23, 2012 13:53

TANA (Telugu Association of North America) is conducting a Short Film contest to promote and perpetuate Telugu, our mother tongue. It was announced by TANA president Prasad Thotakura and 19th TANA Convention Coordinator Murali Vennam in a press release on Tuesday. The contest is being held on the eve of International Mother Language Day, they said. It is very important for all of us to remind ourselves how to save our great language from the current waning stage. International Mother Language Day is annually celebrated on February 21st around the world. The main objective of this observance is to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. Telugu People across the globe can participate in this competition. TANA solicit films made up to a maximum of five minutes focusing on the current status of usage of Telugu Language and its future. The content of the film should be message /solution oriented. The concept is ‘Mana Telugu bhashanu brathikinchu kundam’ said Prasad Thotakura. Participants can contest by emailing their videos as YouTube film links. There is no entry-fee. A panel of judges chaired by renowned movie director Sekhar Kammula will judge the best entrees. Best selected films will be screened at the upcoming 19th TANA Convention to be held at Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas from July 4th ‘ 6th, 2013 and also winners will be awarded on the main stage. More information on rules and regulations will be announced soon. Please visit www.tana.org periodically or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. // if you have any questions.

India heads US party's state finance panel February 23, 2012 11:25

Akshay Desai, who studied medicine in India, has been made the chief of the Republican Party of Florida's finance committee. "...I am grateful that Desai has agreed to accept this crucial role," said RPOF's chairperson Lenny Curry. "In this election year, we need the resources for victory, and Desai's long history of work for the state and our party make him a proven leader. A.K. and I are ready to roll up our sleeves and win," a statement quoted Curry as saying. Desai has been a member of the Florida State Board of Education since 2007. He received his medical degree in India, and earned his Master's in Public Health Administrative Medicine from the George Washington University. Desai is currently president and CEO of Universal Health Care Group, which he founded in 2002, and serves the health care community through several associations. He previously served as commissioner and chairman of the Health Committee on the White House Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders 2005-08.

Indian-origin British hotelier sued by parents February 23, 2012 10:45

Parents of a 60-year-old Indian-origin hotelier, reportedly one of Britain's wealthiest men, are sueing him for 100 million pounds (around $157 million), claiming their son took the family business for himself. Jasminder Singh, chairman of the Radisson Edwardian Hotels, is accused of renouncing the Sikh tradition of sharing family wealth and barring his parents from their multi-million pound business, the Daily Express reported. His 84-year-old father, Bal Mohinder Singh, stands to take a third of the family fortune if he wins the high court battle against his son. The family fortune is reportedly worth an estimated 415 million pounds. In a statement to the court in London Tuesday, Bal Mohinder Singh said he and his wife Satwant were "deeply ashamed that Jasminder should publicly renounce his cultural heritage". The system of joint family ownership of all assets is based on religious teaching and widely practiced by Sikh and Hindu communities around the world, he said. "For Jasminder to deny that and claim all the credit and ownership for himself will be shocking to wide sections of those communities. That is why his mother and I are so ashamed." The hotelier's name was on the family's assets purely because he was a chartered accountant and the Singhs' representative, the court heard. Singh also accused his son of trying to force his parents out of the 10-million-pound house they share near Ascot racecourse in Berkshire. Jasminder Singh denies ever having been told by his parents they were a "joint Hindu family" and that property acquired by any of them was "joint family property". He also denied having a particularly religious upbringing.