'I was handcuffed before deportation'
MUMBAI: B K Subbarao, who has been waging a lone battle for the release of his researcher son from a US prison, was handcuffed by the immigration authorities there and not allowed to contact his family before being deported to India.
The scientist-lawyer and former captain of the Indian Navy, was picked up from a public library at Purdue University campus on August 5, detained in a police station at Chicago and later put on a Korean Air flight on the Seoul-Mumbai route. He landed here early on Saturday and was set free after being debriefed by intelligence agencies.
Subbarao (68) left for the US in April 2006, determined to secure the release of his only son Vikram (37). Vikram, who was teaching and researching at Purdue University, was arrested for allegedly sending threat e-mails to the then US President George Bush and other VIPs. Vikram has denied the charge.
Subbarao said he is convinced that "there is no rule of law or real democracy'' in the US. He said a jury found Vikram guilty of 11 charges, which included issuing e-threats to "President Bush and Mr Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney and Mr Dick Cheney, defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Mr Donald Rumsfeld, the wives of the President and vice-president.'' He was also found guilty of threatening an unidentified "installation''. The sentencing is expected to take place later this month.
"I was barred from entering the trial court because the authorities feared that I will help defence lawyer on technical aspects of computer hacking. Vikram was questioned by the US secret service in December, 2005 and again in January 2006.''
Asked for the possible reason for Vikram's detention, Subbarao replied, "One reason is my article titled `Indo-US nuclear deal; Unexplored angles' which appeared online on March 26, 2006. Soon after that, Vikram was arrested. Also, Vikram had written a letter to the Purdue varsity president protesting the expulsion of an Afro-American student who was caught copying in the exam. Soon after that three non-Afro-American students were also similarly caught, but were not expelled. Vikram was upset by this discrimination and led the protest. This was the second reason for his arrest. They wanted to silence dissent on the campus.''
Subbarao said he was deported even as his appeal against the US immigration authorities was pending in a court.
The scientist-lawyer and former captain of the Indian Navy, was picked up from a public library at Purdue University campus on August 5, detained in a police station at Chicago and later put on a Korean Air flight on the Seoul-Mumbai route. He landed here early on Saturday and was set free after being debriefed by intelligence agencies.
Subbarao (68) left for the US in April 2006, determined to secure the release of his only son Vikram (37). Vikram, who was teaching and researching at Purdue University, was arrested for allegedly sending threat e-mails to the then US President George Bush and other VIPs. Vikram has denied the charge.
Subbarao said he is convinced that "there is no rule of law or real democracy'' in the US. He said a jury found Vikram guilty of 11 charges, which included issuing e-threats to "President Bush and Mr Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney and Mr Dick Cheney, defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Mr Donald Rumsfeld, the wives of the President and vice-president.'' He was also found guilty of threatening an unidentified "installation''. The sentencing is expected to take place later this month.
"I was barred from entering the trial court because the authorities feared that I will help defence lawyer on technical aspects of computer hacking. Vikram was questioned by the US secret service in December, 2005 and again in January 2006.''
Asked for the possible reason for Vikram's detention, Subbarao replied, "One reason is my article titled `Indo-US nuclear deal; Unexplored angles' which appeared online on March 26, 2006. Soon after that, Vikram was arrested. Also, Vikram had written a letter to the Purdue varsity president protesting the expulsion of an Afro-American student who was caught copying in the exam. Soon after that three non-Afro-American students were also similarly caught, but were not expelled. Vikram was upset by this discrimination and led the protest. This was the second reason for his arrest. They wanted to silence dissent on the campus.''
Subbarao said he was deported even as his appeal against the US immigration authorities was pending in a court.
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