NATA organizes a Free IT Job Fair and Immigration Seminar in NJ March 29, 2012 13:20
North American Telugu Association (NATA) organizes a Unique Community Services Event 'IT Job Fair and Immigration Seminar' on May 6th, 2012 (Sunday) at Crowne Plaza Edison in NJ from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm. This free event was organized by the NATA Community Services team, led by Srinivas Ganagoni (CS Chair), Santosh Pathuri (CS Co-Chair), and Mahesh Bigala (PR Chair) under the guidance of Dr. Pailla Malla Reddy, Advisory Council member and AVN Reddy, President as part of NATA's core mission to provide community services and charitable activities. Popular Attorney Sheela Murthy along with Attorney Prashanthi Reddy will speak on the current immigration issues that our community is facing today and cover the Topics such as OPT Students, EAD/H1B/GC Options and Employer-Employee Relationship and various updates from USCIS. The seminar can be live telecasted on YUPPTV - NATA Channel and all can listen to Sheela Murthy's seminar by dialing conference ID: 712 432 1630 Access code: 643066# at 1.00 pm on May 6th, 2012. Many IT Software companies along with major Telecom Company such as IDT Corporation (IDT) will present on site to accept applications from eligible candidates to recruit their current Job opening. If you are interested to participate either in IT Job Fair and Immigration Seminar or if you have company would like to participate in the JOB fair.
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Oman Telugu community felicitates Dr ABK on Ugadi March 27, 2012 18:51
The Indian Telugu community in Oman celebrated the festival of Ugadi with a mega event at Al Falaj Hotel on March 23rd, 2012. Dr A B K Prasad, hailed as the doyen of vernacular journalism of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, was among a number of well-known personalities felicitated on the occasion. In addition to his contribution to journalism, the stalwart was also recognised for his lifelong work in promoting Telugu culture. Speaking on the occasion, Dr ABK highlighted the significance of Telugu and dwelt on the traditions of the ancient Telugu people. “Brotherhood continues to be essence of life; only strong relations will enable people to live harmoniously,” he noted. The programme began with a classical kuchipudi dance performance by Koka Vijaya Lashmi depicting several thematic mythological illustrations. This was followed by a magic show by Altaf Ali, who is popularly known as Magic Ali. Prominent Telugu ghazal maestro Dr Srinivas enthralled the audience with his powerful renditions focusing on family and love. A legendary Indian classical vocalist who pioneered the art of Telugu ghazal singing, Dr Srinivas has set three Guinness World records and a Limca Record by singing ghazals on Gandhism in 125 world languages. The artistes were felicitated by an organising committee comprising Dr Rangaiah, Dr Keshav and Ramdas. Another dignitary feted on the occasion was fertility specialist Dr Rama Devi. The programme was co-ordinated by Prasanna Kumar, Rajendra Prasad, Guna Saida, Ramesh Babu, P V Srinivas, Bapi Raju, Madhusudhan, Naidu, Anil Kumar, Raja, Ganga Prasad, Padma Srinivas, Palepu Srinivas and Haribabu. Ramdas and Asma Khan were the emcees. The evening ended with the distribution of prizes to the winners of the rangoli, cooking, sports and elocution competitions. The entire programme was presented by Al Wiqayah Trading exclusively for members of the Telugu community residing in Oman.
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NATA fund raising over one million mark March 21, 2012 12:25
The North American Telugu Association (NATA) conducted several funding-raising events in many cities in the US and raised over one million dollars for its mega convention, which will be held in Houston from June 29th to July 1st, 2012. This is a record amount for a new Telugu organization in such short-time, said Advisors Dr. Malla Reddy and Dr. Prem Reddy. All BODs, RVPs, SC chairs, RCs, conference advisers, and chairs worked together as a team and produced results beyond our imaginations, said President AVN Reddy and President-elect Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy.The regional distribution of the amount collected so far is chronologically outlined below: NY team fund-raising event: In the NY/NJ areas alone, NATA team under the advisorship of Dr. Pailla Malla Reddy collected about $500,000 including the magnanimous $100,000 donation made by Dr. Malla Reddy himself, who many hail as the true philanthropic leader of Telugu community. The NY team held its fund-raiser on March 9th at Akbar Hotel, New York. This event was hosted by Dr. Malla Reddy to promote Houston Conference and raise funds for the conference. The team collected a whopping$300,000 from local donors. Thanks to Dr. Malla Reddy's inspiration and motivation of donors. This event was attended by 350 NATA members from New York and Connecticut. NATA President AVN Reddy, Advisory Council Dr. Malla Reddy, President-elect Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy, EVP Rajeshwar Reddy, Convener Jithender Reddy, Secretary Pradeep Samala, Treasurer Ramsurya Reddy, Jt. Treasurer Chinnababu Reddy, BODs Dr. Stanley Reddy and Phani Bhushan Tadepalli, Venkat Vaddadi, RVP Alla Rami Reddy, RCs Vikram Jangam, Krishna Maddipatla, Linga Reddy, Narasimha Reddy, Prabhu Goud, Sridhar Kumbala, Swetha Reddy and Vishnu Kumar Kotimreddy were present. Thanks to NATA Conference Finance Committee Chair Dr. Raghava Reddy Ghosala and convention team members Anna Reddy and Sekhar Konala for their presence. The event started with a grand welcome speech by Dr. Malla Reddy and Dr. Stanley Reddy. President AVN Reddy thanked Dr. Malla Reddy and the New York team for organizing such a big event and explained the reason for fund-raising in his speech. Convener Jithender Reddy assured that the conference team is taking all measures to make the Houston Conference a memorable event for everybody. TLCA President Nagender Gupta spoke on this occasion and encouraged the participants to donate for the Convention. Singer Vamsi Priya entertained the audience with great melodious songs and RC Prabhu Goud entertained the audience with his mimicry. BOD Phani Bhushan Tadepalli and community leader Mahesh Saladi were the MCs for this event and promoted the fund-raising. Local community leaders from TLCA were present and donated money for the conference. All participants and NATA leaders thanked Dr. Malla Reddy for hosting this dinner and making it a big success. Dallas team-fund raising event: NATA Dallas chapter has raised over $100,000 in a grand fund-raiser in Dallas-Fort Worth for the Convention. This event was hosted by Drs. Ramana and Jyothi Reddy, who cordially welcomed the guests to their beautiful residence in Fort Worth. The event was attended by over 50 Telugu community leaders, physicians and business owners and IT Professionals from the Dallas- Ft Worth metropolitan areas. Regional Vice-President Mr. Rao Kalvala welcomed members and shared his views on conventions and the impact NATA leadership has made for over 30 years to the progress of Telugu Communities in United States, with the enrichment of Telugu Literature, Culture, Music and Spiritual Practices. Mr. AVN Reddy shared progress of NATA community services such as recently conducted medical camps, educational programs, scholarships and drinking water projects in India, and requested DFW community for their support for NATA convention. Convener Jithender Reddy strongly urged DFW community leader for their support. Mr. Prasad Thotakura, TANA President, reiterated the richness of Telugu culture and the relentless support from Telugu communities across the nation. He pledged full cooperation for NATA events. Dr. AllaSrinivas Reddy (BOD) appreciated the efforts of NATA teams involved in community services and the need and requested for the support.Other community members Mr. Ramakrishna Lavu (NATS), Mr. Gurram Srinivas Reddy, Mrs. Shyamala Rumalla, Dr. Pudur Jagadeeshwaran, Dr. Viswanadham Puligandla shared their views and pledged support. Due to such great effort by the Dallas team, the DFW community donated over $100 thousands for the 2012 NATA convention. Over 50 members participated in this event, including Ramasurya Reddy (Treasurer), Dr. Samba Reddy (Media chair), Dr. Raghava Reddy (BOD), Sridhar Reddy Korsapati (BOD) and several regional coordinators. The team worked effectively in making this event successful. Los Angeles team fund-raising event: The Los Angeles, CA team held its fund-raiser on February 24th at Dr. Prem Reddy's guest house in Newport Beach, CA and promoted the Convention. With the help of local donors, NATA raised over $200,000in contributions, including the magnanimous donation of $100,000 by Dr. Prem Reddy, an advisory council member and great philanthropic leader of Telugu community. A health fair and a grand star-night, sponsored by Dr. Prem Reddy, were conducted by the CA south team.Advisory council Dharma Reddy, BOD Mallik Banda, RVP Anil Errabelli, RVP Nageshwar Rao Ankamma, RC Veera Reddy and many others participated in these events. Many NATA leaders from other cities including Dr. Malla Reddy, AVN Reddy, Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy, Dr. Samba Reddy, Jithender Reddy, Rajeshwar Reddy, Dr. Sreedhar Reddy Korsapati, Srinivas Ganagoni and many others also participated in these events. Houston team fund-raising event: The Houston team held fund-raisers and the team is still working on few more fund raisers within the next few weeks. With help from local donors, the team is expecting to raise decent contributions. Several leaders including President AVN Reddy, Convener Jithender Reddy, Co-convener Harinath Medi, Coordinator Dr. Janaradhana Reddy, Media Chair Dr. Samba Reddy, RVP Manohar Medi and BOD Chitten Raju hail from the greater Houston metropolitan areas. NATA board meeting fund-raisers: A grand cultural program and fund-raiser was conducted as part of the NATA board meeting in Dallas on October 1, 2011. The meeting was attended by many BODs and all advisory members Dr. Prem Reddy, Dr. Malla Reddy, Dr. M.S. Reddy, Dr. Mohan Mallam and Dharma Reddy participated in the board meeting and inspired the team and the attendees. NATA Day celebrations were a grand success. The team felicitated Dr. Prem Reddy and Dr. Malla Reddy with a grand flower garlands. Thanks to both leaders for helping to raise an additional $100,000 for the conference. Thanks also to Sridhar Reddy Korsapati, Rao Kalvala, local NATA leaders, volunteers and sponsors for all wonderful arrangements at these events. At Washington board meeting, NATA has received over $300,000 in pledges mainly from advisory members, board members, RVPs, committee chairs, regional coordinators and other members. Part of Drs. Malla Reddy and Prem Reddy's donations ($50,000 each) were announced that day. Dr. M.S. Reddy & Shyama Reddy and Dr. Haranath Policherla announced $25,000 followed by several generous donors who made donations in the amount ranging from $1500 to $25,000. Atlanta team fund raiser event: RVP Bala Indurti and NATA team has organized a fund raiser event in Atlanta on 7/30/11. They raised over $63,000.The fundraising dinner was attended by close to 300 people. 'We are glad that the community responded well to the event,' said Bala Indurti. It was a team effort by a great team we have here who has diligently worked for several months. We were glad that executive committee President AVN Reddy, Dr. Sanjeeva Reddy, Rajeshwar Reddy,Dr. Adisesha Reddy (NATA Foundation Chair) and South BOD Ramesh Appareddy were able to attend and provide the support. We are glad that Sri Ghantasala Ratnakumar was able to attend and make it a memorable event. He enthralled the audiences with some of golden melodies from bygone era. The Team thanked Srinivas Reddy Vangimalla, Ravi Kandimalla, Srinivas Kottlur, Ramana Dodla Phani Dokka, Venkat Chennubhotla and Ramesh Duvvuri. Take away the other names. Future fund raisers: NATA teams are planning fund-raising events in Oklahoma City,OK (March 24th), Hanford, CA (April 13th), San Jose, CA(April 14th), Berkeley, CA (April 15th), New Orleans, LA (April 29th), Detroit, MI (May 5th) and Canada (May 6th).
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Indian Americans Are Influential Players in American Media March 19, 2012 13:18
With two of them governors, four billionaires and over a score sitting in high places in government, Indian Americans not only keep making news but have also emerged as major players in American media. Take Indian-born Aparism Bobby Ghosh, for instance, who was last week named by Time magazine as 'Editor-at-Large'. In naming Ghosh, Time Managing Editor Richard Stengel, called him "one of Time's greatest assets and this past year was one of his best yet." Then there is Fareed Zakaria, who too was introduced as Editor-at-Large of Time Magazine in October 2010 after spending 10 years overseeing all of Newsweek's editions abroad. Called "the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation" by Esquire Magazine, Zakaria hosts what has been dibbed one of the most intelligent shows on American TV, 'Fareed Zakaria GPS' on CNN every Sunday. Equally ubiquitous is Sanjay Gupta, the multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. A practicing neurosurgeon, Gupta has reported from earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged Japan, earthquake devastated Haiti and covered live the unprecedented flooding in Pakistan. Vinnie Malhotra, a former programme development executive at ESPN and long-time ABC News producer, has just joined CNN as senior vice president for development and acquisitions. Last month, Raju Narisetti, credited with creating Mint, the successful business daily out of Delhi, returned to the Wall Street Journal, where he had spent 23 years earlier, as Managing Editor of its Digital Network. Nisid Hajari, Managing Editor of Newsweek is busy writing "Midnight's Furies," a dramatic history of the Partition of India and Pakistan, told through the characters of Gandhi, Jinnah, Nehru, Churchill, and Mountbatten. Rajiv Chandrasekaran is the National Editor of The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1994. His first book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City:Inside Iraq's Green Zone" published in 2006 won the 2007 Samuel Johnson Prize and was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Awards for non-fiction. ESPN's sports anchor Kevin Negandhi is the first anchor of Indian-American descent to be on a national sports network in American Television history and Ali Velshi, son of Murad Velshi, the first Canadian of Indian origin elected to the legislative assembly of Ontario, serves as CNN's chief business correspondent. Other names include Davan Maharaj, managing editor of the Los Angeles Times; Stephanie Mehta, Fortune magazine Executive Editor overseeing technology, and Nikhil Deogun, Senior Vice President and Editor in Chief Business News, CNBC, the most-watched business TV network in the world. Peter Bhatia, editor of The Oregonian, one of America's top regional newspapers, is the first South Asian to run a major US daily. Hundreds of lesser known Indian Americans are among the producers, reporters, copy editors and production assistants, bringing Americans their daily news -showing how far Indian-American have come in the media world where only a few of them commanded bylines in the 1990s.
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Nithin Reddy wins top $100,000 prize in US science talent search March 15, 2012 13:08
Indian American teenager Nithin Reddy Tumma has won a whopping $100,000 prize in the prestigious Intel Science Talent competition for his research on devising a more effective and less toxic breast cancer treatment. Tumma, 17, from Michigan won the top honours in the competition that also saw two other Indian Americans - Neel Patel from Florida and Anirudh Prabhu from Indiana - finding a place in the top 10. The winners overcame tough competition from a group of 40 finalists, seven of them Indian Americans, in what is touted as the toughest national science competition. The 40 finalists met President Barack Obama at the White House Tuesday. Tumma analysed the molecular mechanisms in cancer cells and found that by inhibiting certain proteins, the growth of cancer cells may be slowed and their malignancy decreased. Tumma is first in his class of 332, a varsity tennis player and a volunteer for the Port Huron Museum, where he started a restoration effort for historical and cultural landmarks. Placed sixth, Neel Patel of Florida received a $25,000 award for studying how non-speech patterns of sounds called sonifications can convey information, which could lead to a computer-user interface as revolutionary as the graphical interface was 30 years ago. Prabhu from Indiana received a $25,000 for the seventh spot for his investigation of the odd-perfect number problem, and his suggestion that odd perfect numbers do not exist. Andrey Sushko, 17, of Washington State, won the $75,000 second prize for his development of a tiny motor, only 7 mm in diameter, which uses the surface tension of water to turn its shaft. Mimi Yen, 17, of Brooklyn, won the third prize of $50,000 for her study of evolution and genetics that focuses on microscopic worms, specifically looking at their sex habits and hermaphrodite tendencies.
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Top Indians in the Obama administration March 12, 2012 14:58
President Barack Obama, whose administration has by far the largest number of Indian Americans, has appointed two more to key White House jobs. USAID administrator Rajiv Shah is the highest ranking Indian American appointee. A list of top Indians in the Obama administration: Paula Gangopadhyay, Member, National Museum and Library Services Board, Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Anuj Chang Desai, Member Foreign Settlement Claims Commission Sonal Shah, Deputy assistant to the President, director, Office of SICP, Domestic Policy Council Farah Pandith, US special representative to Muslim communities Anju Bhargava, Member, faith-based advisory council Rajen Anand, Executive director, policy, USDA Centre for Nutrition and Promotion Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Administrative Bureau for Asia Deepa Gupta, Member, National Council on the Arts Arunava Joshi Majumdar, Under Secretary US department of energy Preet Bharara, US attorney for Southern District of New York Ajit Vardaraj Pai, Commissioner, Federal Communication Commission Geeta Pasi, Ambassador to Republic of Djibouti Subra Suresh, NSF Director Rajesh De, Deputy assistant attorney general, US department of justice
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Two more Indian Americans to key jobs: Obama March 10, 2012 10:39
President Barack Obama, who with over two dozen appointments has more Indian Americans serving in White House jobs than in any previous administration, has named two more to key posts. While Indore educated Paula Gangopadhyay was named member, National Museum and Library Services Board, Bangalore educated Sonny Ramaswamy was named Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. "These dedicated individuals bring a wealth of experience and talent to their new roles and I am proud to have them serve in this Administration. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come," he said in making seven new appointments. Currently the Chief Learning Officer at The Henry Ford, where she is responsible for leadership, strategy, and education, Gangopadhyay has held a variety of positions in education and arts policy. These include Executive Director of the Plymouth Community Arts Council from 2006 to 2008; Curator at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids from 2002 to 2006; and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Centre for Education, Research and Practice from 2000 to 2001. Gangopadhyay has served as a member of many state and national boards, including the Michigan Humanities Council. She received her BA and MA from Indore University, and her post-graduate certification in archival, museum and editing studies from Duquesne University. Ramaswamy is Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University and Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. Previously, Ramaswamy was Associate Dean of the Purdue University College of Agriculture and directed the University's agricultural research programmes from 2006 to 2009. Prior to joining the Purdue faculty, Ramaswamy was head of the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University from 1997 to 2006, where he held the title of Distinguished Professor. Ramaswamy received a BS and MS in Entomology from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India, and a PhD in Entomology from Rutgers University. Meanwhile, Obama has found a replacement for America's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Indian American Aneesh Chopra who quit last month apparently to try his hand at politics. Chopra's successor Todd Park has served as CTO of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since August 2009, where he has been an agent for change, according to the White House.
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NATA Day Musical Night: A Colorful extravaganza in Minneapolis March 09, 2012 09:49
North American Telugu Association (NATA) of Greater Minneapolis Region organized the first ever NATA day Musical Night and Comedy Show that attracted hundreds of people of Telugu origin from all over the upper Midwest. The event promoted to raise funds for NATA sponsored events and charitable efforts was a grand success said NATA Regional Coordinator for Greater Minneapolis Mr. Madhu Kolan. The event took place on Friday March, 02 2012. The venue was John F Kennedy high school where audience of over 500 watched the true spirit of Tollywood extravaganza unfold. The people of Telugu origin hungry for such events since the last Mani Sharma concert were electrified by performances by Kamna Jethmalani (Bend Appa Rao fame), M.M.Srilekha who made her mark both as a female music director and as a versatile singer, Uttej (Shiva and Money fame), Shivaji Raja (Samudram and Murari fame), Sowyma Roy (Kick fame), Kalpana, Simha, and Abhinaya Krishna with their endless comedy, melodious vocals, and sizzling dance performances. Kamna Jethmalani danced to the the tune of the latest songs, while Simha took the opportunity to entertain the crowd. Uttej and Kalpana were at their best along with Shivaji Raja and Soumya Roy providing wholesome entertainment with their comedy skits. Simha and M.M.Srilekha were at their best rendering many catchy songs from both Telugu and Hindi movies. Abhinaya Krishna performance was the highlight of the day with his mimicry dance imitation of 24 artists. There was music, dances, comedy skits and much more that kept the audience engaged and wanting more. Padma Dharnipragada was the MC. The event was opened by a traditional bharatanatyam by Miss Rithika . Madhu Kolan, NATA Regional Coordinator for Greater Minneapolis is the event organizer overseeing the entire logistics of the event. Felicitations were done to Sankar Bandi and Surya Duggirala for their selfless service to the Minnesota Telugu community. A grand felicitation ensued to Jyothi Reddy, NATA coordinator from Phoenix for her successes and philanthropy. Later the entire team, sponsors, community leaders presented awards to visiting celebrities. The Grand Sponsors of the event are Brookdale 8 Cinemas and Vajrasys, Mathnasium, SV Temple, Radio Kushi. Other contributors include Sankar Bandi, Sirish Samba, Mahi, Srini Reddy Gangi, Kishore Kandula, Nagender Mankala, Gnaneswar Kacham, Vijay Beeram and Mangalapai. The event would not have been possible without the support of numerous volunteers of Telugu Association of Minnesota (TEAM), Ram & Jyothi Tallapaka, Vivek Addagudi, Kishore Pandari, Srini Halaharvi, Praveen Reddy, Srikanth Kamojjula, Surya, Durga, Hari Pallempati, Saladi, Sujit Kolan, Sarathi, Venkat Reddy and numerous other friends. Special thanks to media sponsor SAIPIX.net for memorable photo moments and videos and food sponsors India Spice House, Bollywood Bistro, Surabhi and Kabobs who provided authentic Indian snacks and meals for the visiting guests! Though it was snowing, the support and care extended by the organizers and the encouragement expressed by the fans is warm wanting us to come back again and again exclaimed the visiting artists from India!
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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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)
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