Author: Staff Reporter

An Indian American man, Khandu Patel, 56, father of two children, was shot dead in Whitehaven, Tennessee, last week, after getting caught in crossfire outside America’s Best Value Inn in Whitehaven, Memphis. Patel worked as a housekeeper at the motel, and also was staying there temporarily with his wife and son, reported Fox News 13. Patel was on the second floor balcony, getting ready to take a dinner break when a shootout erupted

Memphis police want to know who killed a motel worker killed in the crossfire of a shootout at a Whitehaven Motel. People at the motel said the scene was horrifying. “I was terrified,” said 8-year-old Amaya Matthews. Matthews and several other children were outside playing Monday around 7:30 p.m. when bullets started flying at Americas Best Value Inn and Suites in Whitehaven.

“He finished his days’ work and was out walking around the property. Next thing you know he hears some gunshots flying around and one caught him in the chest,” said Jay Patel, the victim’s nephew. “He didn’t even make it to the hospital to be saved.” He needed to just make it one more week before he was preparing to move with his family.

“They were ready to shift over to the Southaven area for another job. He was ready to get out of there,” said Jay Patel. “Just trying to put food on the table so he had to take what he had at the time.” For the Patel family the loss is still surreal. Jay remembers his uncle as a hardworking father. Patel said Khandu had worked at Americas Best Value Inn for about eight months.

Chicago IL: The Indo-American Heritage Museum’s Sunday, April 23 presentation of “Unstitched: The Art of Sari Draping” at Ashton Place, 341 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL, was a winner on all counts, judging by the audience reaction.  IAHM, a non-profit educational organization, was established in 2008 and is the only institution of its kind in the country.  The event is among many the museum organizes throughout the Chicago area as part of its efforts to preserve the history of Indian Americans and promote understanding of their diversity, culture and contributions to American life.

Morning cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music by The Red Line band greeted arrivals and set the tone for the fascinating program that followed.  Following a vandana by Geetanjali Maru of Raag ‘N’ Rock, IAHM Board member Amita Banerji spoke about the museum and its work.  Padma Rangaswamy, also an IAHM Board member called for the community to participate in the upcoming exhibition, Beyond Bollywood:  Indian Americans Shape the Nation, from the Smithsonian Exhibition Traveling Exhibition Service.  The exhibit, which will open in July with support from the Chicago Community Trust, is being co-presented by the Field Museum and IAHM in Chicago.  The Smithsonian exhibition is being augmented with the Chicago chapter of the Indian American story by IAHM.

Dr. Rangaswamy pointed out that IAHM as a grass roots organization welcomes community participation in helping tell the Chicago story.  Community members can send in videos and images for a video portrait of community life that will be showcased at the Field during the exhibition.  They can sign up for a docent training session and guide visitors through the exhibition.  They can volunteer to help with the programs IAHM is organizing during the 5 months the exhibition will be running.  Interested persons can e-mail info@iahmuseum.org or visit www.iahmuseum.org for more information.

After IAHM President Madhoolica Dear’s address and Guest of Honor Indian Consul General Neeta Bhushan’s remarks, renowned textile expert and sari historian Rta Kapur Chishti took over with a kaleidoscopic multimedia presentation of the history, design concepts and varieties of saris from the different regions of India.  Women from the community modeled saris draped in various regional styles, wearing pure silver jewelry from Amrita Kar’s Vintage2Mod jewelry as they walked the runway to music by DJ Kollision.  The event concluded with a lunch buffet from Gaylord Fine Indian Cuisine.

Unstitched was sponsored by OROCHEM, Club of Indian Women (CIW), Geetanjali & Abir Maru of Raag ‘N’ Rock Entertainment, EbyN: Events by Nisar, Harp arte Photography, Patel Brothers, Vinni’s Salon and Spa, Wanda Willmore Schlafly of Sunshine Video, Gaylord Fine Indian Cuisine, DJ Kollision and The Red Line band. Information about the Indo-American Heritage Museum is at www.iahmuseum.org

Almost exactly two years after escaping into hiding, an Indian man wanted for the 2015 murder of his wife in Maryland, is the newest addition to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The FBI announced April 18, that Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, 26, is now on the list and a reward of up to $100,000 was being offered for information leading to his capture.

Patel had been traveling in the U.S. with his 21-year-old wife and their visa had expired a month before her death. At the time of the murder, both were working the night shift at a donut shop in Hanover, Maryland, owned by a relative of Patel’s.

Just before midnight on April 12, 2015, while customers were in the front of the shop, Patel stabbed his wife, Palak Patel, multiple times in the back of the shop and left by a rear door.

Investigators believe that Palak Patel wanted to return to India but he did not. “The best guess is that he didn’t want her to leave,” Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer, who is investigating the case from the FBI’s Baltimore Division, is quoted saying in the press release. “It’s possible that he thought he would be disgraced by her leaving and going back to India.”

Although the motive remains unclear, and there is no way to know if Patel planned the murder, Shaffer noted that “after the crime, his actions show a very cool and calculated mentality about escaping the scene and fleeing the area.”

After leaving the donut shop, Patel walked across the street to the apartment he shared with his wife, retrieved a few items and some cash, and then hailed a taxi. The cab driver took him to a hotel in New Jersey near Newark Liberty International Airport. “He checked in about 3 a.m. with no bags, just the clothes on his back,” Shaffer said. “He checked out around 10 a.m., and took a hotel shuttle to Newark Penn Station. That’s the last anyone has seen of him.”

After the murder, a customer who entered the shop realized something was wrong when no one came to take his order. He alerted a nearby Anne Arundel County Police Department officer, who discovered Palak Patel’s body. “It was horrific what had been done to this young woman,” Shaffer said.

Realizing that Patel was an international flight risk, local police requested FBI assistance, and several days after the murder, a federal arrest warrant was issued charging Patel with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He has also been charged with his wife’s murder.

“Domestic violence homicides tend to be brutal, and this one certainly was,” said Anne Arundel County Police Department Det. Kelly Harding, who has handled many domestic violence cases during her nearly 20 years in law enforcement. “We almost always are able to find the suspects in these cases, and they are usually full of remorse, asking ‘What have I done?’ They are not taking a taxi cab and crossing state lines to escape.”

nvestigators believe that Patel could be with distant relatives in the U.S. or that he could have fled to Canada. “Or he could have traveled through Canada back to India,” Shaffer said. “Those are among the plausible options we are exploring.”

Shaffer believes the $100,000 reward will help in the capture of Patel. “Somebody out there who either sees the publicity or knows something already but has been reluctant to come forward will be encouraged by that amount of money,” he said. “Whether they do it for the right reasons or just for the money doesn’t really matter. Patel needs to be apprehended.”

If you have information regarding Patel—who should be considered armed and dangerous—contact your local FBI office or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or on the FBI.gov website.

On April 21st, 2017, Share a Smile Chicago, hosted another very successful annual gala and fundraiser! The event took place at the 9600 Turnberry Trail, Village of Lakewood, IL.

We are humbled by the overwhelming support by the Indian community of Greater Chicago; which has enabled us to not only raise funds to support our various ‘senior’ endeavors, but to also spread further awareness about our cause! Our primary beneficiary is a senior home on the outskirts of Delhi called Sukhdham.

The executive team of the Barrington chapter and the satellite team of the Naperville chapter, worked together to make this fundraiser a big success! There were over 200 attendees!

The evening started with Shreepad Dave playing Indian tunes on the piano during a delectable dinner catered by Rahul Saigal of Cuisine of India. To compliment the dinner, there were sweet and savory cocktails concocted by Aashima Dogra and prepared by Turnberry Club!

We started our program with a diya lighting ceremony by our seniors to a shabad sung by Seema Singh. That was followed by a slide show highlighting SASC’s various causes and endeavors. The MC for the evening Dr Khaira, then introduced our president Vandana Walia. After a short welcome speech, Vandana introduced Sushma Bhanot, the founder of SASC, the executive team and the members of the Naperville chapter.

The entertainment for the evening was NYNY Dueling pianists. They started their dueling with a very successful live basket auction for Share a Smile Chicago. And the grand winner of the 50/50 raffle was Pooja Chatterjee! And then it was an hour and a half of music by NYNY Dueling Pianos, and singing and dancing by all those there!

Thank you Chicago for your support! Your generosity will make a difference in the lives of all the seniors we serve! We look forward to an exciting year of serving and sharing smiles!

Chicago IL: The Consulate General of India in Chicago in collaboration with Ambedkar Association of North America [AANA] celebrated 126th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on 14th April, 2017.

The opening remarks were delivered by Mrs. Neeta Bhushan, Consul General. Consul General addressed the gathering and recalled the mammoth work done by the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution of India. She emphasized that the Constitution of India does not discriminate anyone on the basis of religion, creed, sex or any other ground.  It is the duty of every citizen of India, therefore, to uphold the Constitution both in its letter and spirit.

Speakers from Ambedkar Association of North America [AANA] spoke on role of Dr. Ambedkar in National Reconstruction, Ambedkar’s agriculture and economical policies and women empowerment. During cultural programme, the children sang classical Raga & performed the classical dance “Bharat Natyam”. Mr. Mahesh Wasnik introduced the AANA & its activities.

A Book and photo exhibition of photographs on the life and times of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was also organized as part of the celebration.

The celebration was attended by a cross-section of prominent Indian-Americans residing in Chicagoland. Mr OP Meena, Consul, proposed a vote of thanks.

Vikram Chatwal, a New York based hotelier, was awarded a “no-jail” plea deal in a New York court on April 18for attempting to set fire to two dogs near his Soho apartment. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation which means that if he adheres for a year to the penalty imposed by the court, the charge of “aggravated animal cruelty” will be dropped.

When Judge Gerianne Abriano asked the 44-year-old hotelier whether he “attempted to cause serious physical injury to two dogs using an aerosol can and lighter to set fire to them?” Chatwal replied “Yes, your Honor,” the New York Post reported.

“Given the defendant’s mental health history and lack of criminal history and minimal injury to the dogs, we are offering” a no-jail deal, Assistant District Attorney Tanisha Palvia is quoted saying in the Post.

According to media reports, prosecutors took into account Chatwal’s lack of criminal history and the minimal injury caused to the dogs, into account in giving Chatwal a five day community service sentence. The judge also took into account the fact that Chatwal is undergoing mental-health treatment and included in his sentence that he continue the treatment and submit to random drug testing and keep living with his parents. Additionally, his name will be on an animal abuse registry and he cannot own or care for pets for five years.

The incident that got him into trouble took place Oct. 9, 2016, when Chatwal ran down Wooster Street screaming “The dogs must die” as he tried to light the dogs who were on a walk, on fire with an aerosol can and lighter.

“We’re pleased that the DA’s office realized all of the mitigating factors and is offering this disposition,” Arthur Aidala, Chatwal’s attorney is quoted saying in the New York Daily News. “Vikram just needs to hit the reset button on life,” Aidala told reporters outside the courtroom, the Post reported. “This was a horrible 30 seconds of his life that we are going to put behind us,” Aidala said referring to the video of Chatwal during the incident. Chatwal is not barred from continuing to manage his company. He has established several reputed hotels during his career.

Abhishek Gattani, an Indian American, who is the Cuberon CEO and co-founder, entered into a plea deal stemming from his second felony domestic violence charge brought by his wife of 10 years Neha Rastogi who recorded his verbal abuse, threats and physical beatings. The controversial settlement, which Rastogi is not happy with, will likely see Gattani spend less than a month in jail.

Gattani, will, despite the evidence presented against him, also have a felony assault charge reduced to felony accessory after the fact, with an accompanying misdemeanor of “offensive touching,” reported The Daily Beast.

Cuberon, a startup based in Silicon Valley, describes itself as a “customer behavior analytics company that helps product and marketing teams to discover, analyze, and visualize customer behavior that impacts their business metrics.” The felony charge against Gattani may be also expunged from his record, which Rastogi pleaded with a judge overseeing the case, not to do so.

In the recordings by Rastogi, made on May 17, 2016, of 5 minutes and 58 seconds of her life which she submitted to the police, Gattani comes across as an extremely controlling and abusive man, who seems bent on subduing his wife to complete submission to his wishes, despite the fact that Gattani was an extremely competent software professional herself, having worked for Apple, Flip and Cisco.

“No, no, no,” he said in one recording when the pair were discussing software bugs, and he repeatedly calls her bitch. “When did I say that’s a bug? We talked about bugs right? Is it getting very difficult for you to focus? You really do need help. You need me to take another step and come to you. You need help?, adding: “You don’t want to get beaten up? Then control yourself.”

The audio recordings also captures the several beatings Gattani gives to his wife during the course of the conversation, with at least 9 of them being heard. Rastogi reveals in her complaint that she was repeatedly beaten and called worse, including slut and whore.

Gattani had previously been charged with felony assault in November, 2013, after a postal worker reported a woman being assaulted on the street, noted Raw Story. According to the Beast, the officer’s report included witness accounts of Gattani “pushing and pulling [Rastogi] along the sidewalk while punching her with a closed fist in the side and back multiple times.”

That felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor charge at Rastogi’s urging, the Beast notes, Three years later, in May 2016, she recorded audio of her husband’s abuse.

The plea was made at Santa Clara County Superior Court, the same place where judge Aaron Perksy drew national criticism after sentencing Brock Turner to six months in jail for three charges of felony sexual assault. At what was supposed to be Gattani’s sentencing at the courthouse, Rastogi read aloud from an impact statement relating to the plea, reported Raw Story. “‘Misdemeanor—offensive touching’? I didn’t even need to look this one up, as it made me laugh when then I realized that I was laughing at myself, I was the joke here,” she said. “‘Offensive touching!’”

“Please explain me is it offensive touching when a 8 month pregnant woman is beaten and then forced to stand for the entire night by her husband? Is it offensive touching when a mother nursing her six-day old child is slapped on her face by her husband because he thinks she is not latching properly with the child? Is it offensive touching when a women is flung to the floor and repetitively kicked in her belly? Is it offensive touching when a woman is slapped nine times by her husband until she agrees to everything he is saying and then gets hit again for not agreeing with it sooner?” Rastogi continued. “Offensive touching—I call it terrorism,” she said.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Stafford promised he listened “very carefully” to Rastogi’s “powerful statement.” Unfortunately, he was just filling in for fellow Judge Allison Danner.

Vamsimadhav Korrapati, 41, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, emergency room doctor, charged with sexually abusing two children under 13, backed out of a plea deal last month, maintaining he was innocent, and will face trial in October, reports here say.

When he is tried, the Indian American physician Korrapati will face charges of felony counts of indecent assault, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. If convicted, Korrapati will face prison time and must register as a sex offender.

Last November, Korrapati took a deal, pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment, which did not involve the allegations of sexual abuse. But moments before he was about to be sentenced, the ER doctor backed out of the plea arrangement. His defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, said in court that Korrapati “has expressed to me that he maintains his innocence and he wants to go to trial.”

Korrapati, who before his arrest in 2015, practiced at several local hospitals, has been free on bail of $200,000. At a preliminary hearing, a young boy testified that Korrapati had fondled him. The boy unfalteringly said that the doctor had done the same thing to a girl. The Morning Call newspaper reported that Korrapati knew both of his victims, and smiled in court at the boy as he recalled the horrific incidents.

The two children provided statements of the alleged abuse to county caseworkers. The alleged molestations went on for several years, according to police. Northampton County, Pennsylvania, prosecutors said that Korrapati displayed “reckless conduct” toward the two children that “may have placed them in danger of serious bodily injury.” According to his Facebook profile, Korrapati attended the A.P.R School, in Gandipalem, Andhra Pradesh, and then attended Siddhartha Medical College in Vijayawada.

NEW YORK: A former New York state pension fund manager was accused in a sweeping federal indictment Wednesday that alleges rampant corruption and extravagant bribes — which included cash, drugs and prostitutes — in exchange for granting brokerage firms millions of dollars in government business.

The former New York Common Retirement Fund manager, Navnoor Kang, is charged along with broker Deborah Kelley — in a case involving multiple counts of conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice for the scheme, which prosecutors say lasted for at least two years.

According to the charging documents, Kang, 37, who served as the office’s director of fixed income and head of portfolio security, repeatedly accepted bribes from Kelley and other brokers in exchange for millions of dollars worth of fixed-income business to their brokerage firms from the pension fund — which, with $184 billion in assets, is the United States’ third largest.

In the wake of alleged fraud committed by New York state pension fund’s former director of fixed income and head of portfolio strategy Navnoor Kang, an Indian American, the state controller’s office is making reforms to its hiring practices and other policies.

Controller Thomas DiNapoli released a report on April 6th outlining the findings of an internal review he ordered after Kang was charged in 2016 by then-Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara with accepting more than $100,000 worth of bribes.

Kang is accused of accepting cash, cocaine, prostitutes, fancy watches and trips from two brokerage firms that wanted to do business with the $184 billion state pension fund, reported the New York Daily News. Kang had previously been fired from his last job for accepting gifts, according to the feds — something he misled hiring managers about and that the third-party company hired by the state to vet its employees, Korn Ferry, missed.

Going forward, all candidates will have to list all former employers, along with contact information for supervisors, provide three references including their most recent employers, and reference checks must be performed by a Common Retirement Fund staff member — not an outside company. Relevant employers over the last decade must be contacted and asked, among other things, if they’d hire the employee again, the report says.

The Sikhs of New York will present Turban Day April 15th from Noon until 4 p.m. in Times Square as part of the annual mid-April celebration of Vaisakhi, which is commemorated by millions of Sikhs annually.

Volunteers of the non-profit organization hope to tie 7,000 turbans on the heads of Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike to not only celebrate the centuries old birth of Sikhism, but also promote awareness of the continued misplaced violence targeted at people who practice the religion. The organization has invited local politicians to join them for six cultural presentations on a stage next to the Ruby Red Stairs at the TKTS Booth, according to a press release.

“Last year we tied about 3,000 turbans in Times Square and we hope that it will be 7,000 this year,” said Chanpreet Singh, the organization’s founder, in a statement. “We started Turban Day in 2013 at Baruch College to promote and educate people about the Sikh religion and identity. We are spreading awareness about the Sikh turban and culture. The turban is the crown of each Sikh and represents pride and valor. Turban Day provides an opportunity for those that do not wear a turban to experience a turban and learn about its significance first hand.”

The organization, which has about 600 members, also will be unveiling a new video on Turban Day that is designed to show Sikh people come from all walks of life. The video, which features physicians, businesspeople and even a gymnast, is posted online at Facebook.com/SIKHSOFNY.

“When you see a person in a turban, feel safe,” said Jill Jagjeevan Kaur Ruitenberg, President & CEO of Ruitenberg Lind Design Group of Jamesburg, N.J. and a practicing Sikh featured in the video, in a statement. “When you see a person wearing a turban they are Sikh. Sikhism is its own religion founded in India over 500 years ago. It is not derived from any other religion. Part of their beliefs are to help and protect people around them, even at the risk of their own lives. They believe in equality for everyone.”

The cultural presentations at the free event include yoga by SJ Khalsa of Kundalini Yoga East in New York City, who promotes a healthy lifestyle. Featured performances will include Tejveer Singh, also known as “The Lost Strings,” as well as singing and Bhangra dancing. The event begins with turban tying at 12 p.m.

The World of Children organization, which funds and recognizes individuals globally who are exclusively serving the needs of vulnerable children, named Megan Pasricha as one of its recipients of the 2017 World of Children Hero Awards. Pasricha is a co-founder of Global Youth H.E.L.P., a nonprofit that runs health, education, and leadership training programs for children in India and the United States.

When she was only five years old, Meghan Pasricha began changing the world with community service work. When she entered high school, Meghan – an asthma sufferer – decided to become a passionate advocate for tobacco control and health. In 2001, she worked to mobilize youth for the successful passage of Delaware’s Statewide Smoking Ban.

While studying at Harvard University, Meghan co-founded Global Youth H.E.L.P., Inc. together with her sister, working to create a global network of youth leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in the world.

In 2007, Meghan received the World of Children Youth Award for her leadership in mobilizing young people to change the world. Since then, the organization has transformed from an anti-tobacco organization into a global youth movement. Today, the organization offers a variety of programs, including anti-tobacco education, leadership training, health camps for underprivileged children, computer literacy, school supply donation programs, and more. For more information, visit www.globalyouthhelp.org.

Meghan received the 2017 World of Children Alumni Award for her extraordinary dedication to global youth empowerment. The Indian American social entrepreneur was chosen for expanding her impact and continuing to unlock the future for even more children with disabilities.

“This award will give us the tools and resources to continue expanding our youth leadership and empowerment programs, and to provide more young people with the tools to become leaders today,” she said in a statement.

Pasricha thrusted herself into community service as a teenager. A sufferer of asthma, Pasricha became an advocate for tobacco control and health when she started high school. And in 2001, she worked to mobilize youth for the successful passage of Delaware’s Statewide Smoking Ban.