LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin man and his partner have been sentenced for breaking into gym lockers and stealing bank cards to pay for their lavish lifestyles in southeast London.
Ashley Singh (39) and Sophie Bruyea (20) of Widmore Road in Bromley, would visit gyms and rifle through victims’ lockers as they got busy in their workouts, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday.
The pair would then max out their victims’ credit cards on expensive tech and designer gear, before selling them on and using the cash to buy bags, shoes, holidays and a pedigree puppy.
The duo was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on January 10 to conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation between January 2022 and January 2023 with a total value of 250,000 pounds.
Singh was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment while Bruyea received a 20-month sentence at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for two years.
The court also asked her to undergo a rehabilitation program and complete 120 hours of unpaid work.
The pair’s spree was noticed by a local officer, who realized there was a pattern and flagged it to detectives who are experts in economic crime.
A Lewisham-based team traced the pair’s phones, cars, and faces on CCTV and linked them all together.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police arrested them at Gatwick Airport on January 27, 2023, as they returned from Paris with 2,000 euros worth of designer goods.
At least 18 people were targeted in what the sentencing judge branded a “wicked conspiracy”.
The judge described the impact the pair’s “wide-ranging spree” had had on people, including instances where people no longer felt safe around strangers, or had suffered professionally due to the stress.
DC Luis Da Silva, from the Met’s economic crime team that investigated this case, said: “We know Londoners are worried about theft. It’s a horrible crime, and it causes a lot of stress, pain, and financial loss. That’s why we take this crime seriously and a whole team of us were committed to catching Singh and Bruyea.
“You couldn’t fail to be moved by the devastating impact their callous behavior had on people, and we hope that by catching them this offers victims a little bit of solace.” He urged anyone who has had something stolen to get in touch and said that the proceeds of the duo’s crimes will be used to help compensate the victims.
There were 18 fraud reports in total, with 14 in the Metropolitan area, one from Sussex, one from Hertfordshire and two reports from Cambridgeshire.
Tag: Indian-Americans
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Indian-origin man, his girlfriend sentenced for their “wicked conspiracy” in London
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Indian-origin Singapore lawyer Kasturibai Manickam suspended for falsely attesting documents
SINGAPORE (TIP): An Indian-origin lawyer who falsely attested that she had witnessed the signing of several property-related documents despite those not being signed in her presence was handed a one-year suspension.
The Law Society of Singapore argued for a 30 months’ suspension for Kasturibai Manickam—a lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience—acting for two siblings who were the registered owners of a condominium unit.
However, the Court of Three Judges, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, said this was an instance of a “grave error of judgement” rather than a character defect, according to a media report.
There was no dispute that the documents were signed by the intended signatories, Chief Justice Menon said.
Kasturibai’s error was to decide to attest that she witnessed the signing because she knew the parties and thought no harm would ensue, he said.
Santha Devi V Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay and her brother Raman Puthenveetil Kesava Pillay had sold the property in September 2020 to two individuals.
Kasturibai’s firm—East Asia Law Corporation—had acted for the siblings in several matters prior to the sale of the property. Raman’s wife was also a long-time employee of the firm.
In the course of acting for the siblings, Kasturibai prepared six documents for the transaction, all of which were signed by Santha Devi.
Between September 7, 2020, and November 5, 2020, Kasturibai signed as a witness to Santha Devi’s signature, even though the lawyer did not witness the signing.
Five of the documents, including a transfer instrument, were sent to the law firm acting for the purchasers.
Santha Devi later lodged a complaint with the Law Society of Singapore against Kasturibai and a disciplinary tribunal was appointed in May 2022 to formally investigate the matter.
The tribunal’s report, issued in October 2022, did not elaborate on the events leading to the complaint.
During the tribunal hearing, Kasturibai admitted that she signed as a witness to Santha Devi’s signature despite not having witnessed the signing.
Senior Counsel N Sreenivasan, Kasturibai’s lawyer, argued that she did not act for her personal benefit and that her motivation was to help her elderly clients avoid travel during the Covid pandemic.
He also argued that there was very little harm caused as the transaction was legitimate.
The tribunal found that Kasturibai’s act involved an element of dishonesty and constituted grossly improper conduct. The tribunal found that the case was serious enough to be referred to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers. During the hearing on January 16, Sreenivasan said Kasturibai wanted to tender her deepest apologies to the court and to the profession.The court allowed the suspension to take effect on March 7 to give Kasturibai time to find another lawyer to take over her files. -
Indian-origin student in London dies after ‘psycho’ Tunisian boyfriend ‘nearly beheads’ her for ‘rejecting him’
LONDON (TIP): A Tunisian national has been locked up indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital for killing and nearly beheading a 19-year-old Indian-origin student at her university accommodation in London in 2022.
Maher Maaroufe, 24, stabbed his girlfriend Sabita Thanwani, an aspiring psychologist, in the neck at Arbour House student flats in Clerkenwell area of London on March 19, 2022.
Appearing before the Old Bailey last year, Maaroufe, of no fixed address, admitted manslaughter by means of diminished responsibility, saying he was suffering from schizoaffective disorder at that time.
He also pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating an emergency worker.
While sentencing him on Monday, Judge Nigel Lickley KC said Maaroufe carried out the attack during the “height” of a psychotic episode, the media reported. He said Maaroufe had been “aggressive” and “controlling” towards Thanwani during their relationship and hit her at least once, and that his behavior may have been part of his “emerging illness”. “Sabita had her whole life ahead of her. You ended her life. Your actions will continue to cause enduring pain and suffering,” the judge told Maaroufe.
The Old Bailey heard that Maaroufe, who entered the UK legally on an unknown date but had overstayed, was in the process of claiming asylum at the time of the incident. According to the prosecution, during his psychotic episodes, Maaroufe smoked cannabis and thought that Thanwani was a “male devil”.
The evening before the attack, they met outside a mosque and spent time in central London.
After they had returned to Thanwani’s accommodation, other students heard her shouting “stop”, “I can’t breathe” and “I beg you, don’t kill me”, following which emergency services were alerted.
Police saw blood stains around the bed, as well as blankets and duvets on the floor of Thanwani’s room.
She was pronounced dead at the scene at 6 am, and a post-mortem examination gave her cause of death as sharp force trauma to the neck. Maaroufe was found by police asleep under a tarpaulin in a garden shed, and allegedly head-butted a police officer while trying to evade arrest. Thanwani’s family, in a statement released at the time of her death, described her as “our angel” and said she had a “radiant smile and incredible heart”.
The family described Maaroufe as an “evil, sadistic murderer, his actions were calculated to kill her because she rejected him”. -
Wealthy Indian-origin couple, daughter found dead in US
BOSTON (TIP): A wealthy Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter were found dead in their USD 5 million mansion in the US state of Massachusetts in an apparent domestic violence incident, according to media reports.
The bodies of Rakesh Kamal (57), his wife Teena (54) and their 18-year-old daughter Ariana were found in their Dover mansion around 7.30 pm on Thursday, Norfolk district attorney Michael Morrissey said.
Teena and her husband, who also went by Rick, had previously run a now-defunct education systems company called EduNova. The district attorney, who described the “terrible tragedy” as a “domestic violence situation”, said a gun was found near the husband’s body. He declined to say whether all three family members were shot dead, and by whom, a newspaper reported. The couple appeared to have faced financial problems in recent years, online records show. -
Indian-origin real estate developer charged with perpetuating USD 93 million fraud scheme
NEW YORK (TIP): An Indian-origin real estate developer has been charged by federal authorities in the US with perpetuating a USD 93 million fraud scheme. Rishi Kapoor, a Miami-based developer, faces charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, January 3.
The SEC announced that it obtained an asset freeze and other emergency relief concerning the alleged USD 93 million real estate investment fraud perpetrated by Kapoor. The SEC also charged real estate company Location Ventures, its affiliate Urbin and 20 other related entities in connection with the fraud scheme, a statement said.
According to the SEC’s complaint, from approximately January 2018, until at least March 2023, Kapoor and certain of the defendant entities solicited investors by, among other things, making several material misrepresentations and omissions regarding Kapoor, Location Ventures, Urbin, and their real estate developments.
The false statements allegedly included misrepresenting Kapoor’s compensation; his cash contribution to the capitalization of Location Ventures; the corporate governance of Location Ventures and Urbin; the use of investor funds; and Kapoor’s background.
(Source: PTI) -
Sikh medic Dr. Amritpal Singh Hungin knighted by King Charles III
LONDON (TIP): A British Sikh senior medical professional with over 30 years of general practice (GP) experience has been knighted by King Charles III in the 2024 New Year Honors list. Dr Amritpal Singh Hungin, Emeritus Professor of General Practice at Newcastle University, received a Knighthood for services to medicine on Friday night, including nearly 30 Indian-origin healthcare professionals, philanthropists and community activists honored for their selfless service to society.
Selfless service
Dr Amritpal Singh Hungin, Emeritus Professor of General Practice at Newcastle University, received a Knighthood for services to medicine
Nearly 30 Indian-origin healthcare professionals, philanthropists and community activists honored for their selfless service to society
Professor Pali Hungin, as he is known, was the founding Dean of Medicine at Durham University and a former president of the British Medical Association (BMA). “The New Year’s Honors List recognizes the exceptional achievements of people across the country and those who have shown the highest commitment to selflessness and compassion,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. “To all honorees, you are the pride of this country and an inspiration to us all,” he said.Among the British Indian Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs) include Baldev Parkash Bhardwaj for services to the community in Oldbury, West Midlands; Dr Dipankar Datta, Chair of the South Asia Voluntary Enterprise, for services to charity; Munir Patel, CEO of XRAIL Group, for services to rail exports; Dr Shriti Pattani, President of the Society of Occupational Medicine, for services to occupational health; Rajwinder Singh, Principal Project Sponsor of the Prison Infrastructure Team at the UK’s Ministry of Justice, for public service; Vinaichandra Guduguntla Venkatesham, CEO of Arsenal Football Club, for services to sport.
The Cabinet Office said more than 1,200 recipients had been awarded this year for their exceptional achievements, including Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) conferred upon a cross-section, including British Indians such as Dr Sanjay Bhandari, Chair of anti-racism charity Kick It Out for services to sport and Jayshree Rajkotia, Trustee and Vice Chair of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, UK, for services to Indian culture.
Other Indian-origin recipients of MBEs include Tajinder Kaur Banwait for services to business and to the beauty industry; Dr Manav Bhavsar for services to healthcare, particularly during Covid-19; Nilesh Bhasker Dosa for services to social equality; Dr Dinendra Singh Gill for services to pre-hospital and trauma care in Wales; Dr Gian Parkash Gopal for services to the Hindu community and to multi-faith Cohesion in Oxfordshire; Jasdeep Hari Bhajan Singh Khalsa for charitable services to the Sikh community; Dr Meenakshi Nagpaul for services to the NHS; and Satish Manilal Parmar for public service, among others. Healthcare and charity work also dominates among the Indian-origin Medalists of the Order of the British Empire (BEMs) such as Chandra Shekhar Biyani for services to medical education and Harbaksh Singh Grewal for services to charity.
(Source: PTI) -
Indian American legal scholar Ved Prakash Nanda dies
DENVER (TIP) : Noted Indian American legal scholar, Professor Ved Prakash Nanda passed away on January 1. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar among others condoled his death.
Nanda, who was awarded Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor in 2018 for his contributions to literature and education was a Distinguished University Professor and Thompson G. Marsh Professor of Law at the University of Denver, Colorado.
He founded the International Legal Studies Program there in 1972 and directed the Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law established in his honor by alumni and friends, who have also endowed a professorship in his name.
He received Honorary Doctor of Law from Soka University, Tokyo, Japan, and Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, India, and has taught and lectured at several universities in the US and abroad, according to his official profile.
Nanda was also an Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Delhi, India. He held many leadership positions in the global international law community, including the World Jurist Association, American Society of International Law, International Law Association, American Law Institute, and the American Bar Associations Human Rights Center and Section of International Law.
He also served as a US delegate to the World Federation of the United Nations Associations in Geneva and on the governing council of the United Nations Association of the USA.
Nanda was an officer and board member in several international and national NGOs. He was the Chair of the Uberoi Foundation for Religious Studies.
Nanda received numerous national and international awards and authored or co-authored 24 books and over 225 chapters and law review articles in international and comparative law, writes a column for the Denver Post, and is a regular commentator in both the electronic and print media.
The American Bar Association International Law Section conferred on him the Louis B Sohn Award, for distinguished, longstanding contributions to the field of public international law in 2018.
Expressing his grief over Nanda’s demise, Modi said Nanda’s work highlighted his commitment to legal education. “Deeply saddened by the passing away of Professor Ved Prakash Nanda Ji, a distinguished academic whose contributions to the legal field are invaluable. His work highlights his strong commitment to legal education,” Modi posted on X.
“He was also a prominent member of the Indian diaspora in USA and was passionate about strong India-USA relations. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,” the PM added.
“Deeply anguished by the demise of Prof. Ved Prakash Nanda Ji, an internationally acclaimed legal scholar. The illustrious career of Nanda Ji was shaped by his academic rigor and profound commitment to legal education,” Shah wrote.
“A prominent member of our diaspora in the US, Prof Nanda Ji left an indelible mark in fortifying the Indo-US relationship. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers. Om Shanti,” he added.
“Grieved to learn of the passing away of Professor Ved Prakash Nanda ji,” wrote Jaishankar. “Had the privilege of knowing him over many years. His contribution to the India-US relationship will always be remembered.” -
2 Indian-origin men arrested for committing Visa fraud in US
BOSTON (TIP): Two Indian-origin men have been arrested and charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit visa fraud in the US.
Rambhai Patel, 36, and Balwinder Singh, 39, allegedly staged armed robberies so that “victims” could apply for immigration benefits, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said on Friday, December 29. Patel was arrested in Seattle on December 13, 2023, and following an initial appearance in the Western District of Washington, he was ordered detained pending trial. Singh was also arrested on the same day in Queens, and had his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York.While Singh appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday afternoon, Patel is expected to appear at a later date in the same court.
According to the charging documents, beginning March 2023, Patel and his co-conspirators, including at times, Singh, set up and carried out staged armed robberies. These were carried out at eight convenience/liquor stores and fast food restaurants across the United States, including at least four in Massachusetts.
It is alleged that the purpose of the staged robberies was to allow the clerks present to claim that they were victims of a violent crime on an application for U non-immigration status (U Visa).
A US Visa is available to victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and who have been helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity.
In the course of the alleged staged robberies, the “robber” would threaten store clerks and/or owners with an apparent firearm before taking cash from the register and fleeing, while the interaction was captured on store surveillance video.
The clerks and/or owners would then wait five or more minutes until the “robber” had escaped before calling police to report the “crime”.
The “victims” are alleged to have each paid Patel to participate in the scheme. In turn, Patel allegedly paid the store owners for the use of their stores for the staged robbery. The charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the US Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, the attorney’s office said.
(Source: IANS) -
Indo-British Sikh woman ‘Polar Preet’ claims record for fastest solo ski across Antarctica
LONDON (TIP): Having already broken two Guinness World Records for polar exploration, British Sikh Army medic Harpreet Chandi has said she now has a third one.
By covering 1,130 km of Antarctic ice in 31 days, 13 hours and 19 minutes, Chandi, also known as Polar Preet, claims she has become the fastest woman to ski solo across Antarctica, media reported.
“I’m tired but so glad I made it. This was completely different to my last expedition… I completely pushed myself to my limits on my last expedition, a speed attempt is completely different,” the 34-year-old said, speaking from the South Pole. “After my last expedition, I knew I could cope well on the ice which gave me the confidence to tackle this head on,” she added.
The Guinness World Records will need to verify the claim, which can take several months, and if confirmed, it would beat the previous record holder, Canadian Caroline Cote, by a day, 14 hours and 34 minutes.
For the trek, Chandi left the Hercules inlet on the Ronne ice shelf on November 26, and arrived at the South Pole at 2.24 am UK time on December 28.
She skied for between 12 and 13 hours a day on average and pulled a 75 kg sled that had everything she needed to survive behind her.
“It was definitely not a sprint, but I had to constantly weigh up my effort and how long I would ski for each day. Too long or too fast and I was going to burn out. Too slow or finish too early and I’d miss out on the record,” she told the media.
Calling Antarctica an amazing place and glad that it allowed her a safe passage, Chandi said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be here. It is not a place any person can conquer; it is a place you treat with respect and hope it allows you safe passage.”
Chandi is on a career break from military service where she was a physiotherapist providing rehabilitation for injured soldiers and officers.
Speaking about her journey, she said her focus was on what she could control, not what she couldn’t.
“I couldn’t control the conditions — the blistering sun, the whiteouts, the temperatures of minus 30 degrees C, but I can control how I dealt with them. Just keep taking it one step at a time,” Chandi, who was named Member of the British Empire recently, said.
Also honored as ‘woman of the year’ at the Women in Defense Awards 2022, Chandi made history by becoming the first woman of color to complete a 700-mile Antarctic journey — solo and unsupported — to the South Pole in 2021. Chandi said she never thought she would return to Antarctica this year but returned after realizing that this expedition was just not about pushing herself, but also about inspiring others to challenge their boundaries, and break their barriers. “One of my biggest motivations in those dark times on the ice is the thought of inspiring others to face their own challenge,” she said. -
Indian-American medical biller arrested for stealing more than USD 1 million
NEW YORK (TIP): A 61-year-old Indian-origin medical biller has been arrested for stealing more than USD 1 million from doctors who provided medical care to injured workers in New York, according to the Attorney General’s Office here. Amrish Patel and his two companies—Medlink Services and Medlink Partners—were charged on Wednesday with 27 felony counts for the thefts they allegedly committed from January 2012 through January 2019, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced. Patel and the companies were charged with one count of insurance fraud in the first degree, one count of grand larceny in the first degree, one count of grand larceny in the second degree, one count of grand larceny in the third degree, one count of scheme to defraud in the first degree, 11 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, and 11 counts of workers’ compensation fraud. He was released with electronic monitoring and a USD 1,00,000 bond. Patel, who provided billing services to a Brooklyn-based orthopedic surgery practice, submitted falsified claim forms to the New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) to steal at least USD 1.1 million in workers’ compensation reimbursements for himself. “Doctors and health care professionals provide crucial care to our communities, and they rely on accurate and ethical billing to sustain these services and ensure our wellbeing,” said Attorney General James.
“When money is illegally diverted away from doctors and providers, all New Yorkers suffer as a result. Fraud of any kind will never go unchecked in our state, and my office will continue to use every measure to hold accountable those who seek to cheat New Yorkers for personal gain. I thank our partners for their invaluable support and collaboration on this case,” James said.
“Fraud in any part of the workers’ compensation system is detrimental to trust and hurts the entire system, including medical providers, carriers, businesses, and injured workers,” said NYSIF Executive Director and CEO Gaurav Vasisht. “I am thankful for the collaboration of the Attorney General and Inspector General’s offices on this investigation,” Vasisht said.
“Workers’ compensation fraud is not a victimless crime,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang.
“The defendant compromised the integrity of this crucial safety net when he took advantage of his trusted position to ensure accurate billing for medical providers and health insurers. I am grateful to the Office of the Attorney General and the NYSIF for their partnership in rooting out this fraud.” Starting in 2011, Patel and his companies handled billing services for a Brooklyn-based orthopedic surgery practice and were responsible for submitting billing for surgeries related to work-related injuries under the New York State Workers’ Compensation Law.
Under the law, authorized providers are reimbursed for their treatment of injured workers by the insurance carrier for the employer. In total, Patel allegedly stole at least USD 1.1 million in payments originally intended for three doctors for services provided between January 1, 2012 and January 4, 2019.
Patel was arraigned on January 3 in Albany City Court. He was later released with electronic monitoring and a USD 100,000 bond.
(Source: PTI) -
Indian-origin Jashanpreet Singh appointed as Canada jail officer
VANCOUVER (TIP): A 24-year-old man, who is the son of a retired Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Muktsar Police, has become a Correctional Officer in Canada’s Vancouver.
A Correctional Officer supervises prisoners during work assignments, meals and recreation periods.
Jashanpreet Singh Brar had gone to the Maple country on a study visa in August 2017. He was an alumnus of Bhai Mastan Singh Public School here. After completing his study in Canada, Jashanpreet worked part-time as a security officer and an executive at a liquor store.
His father Kaur Singh Brar said, “I am feeling proud that my son is following in my footsteps. I had joined the state police in 1992 as a constable and retired as an ASI. My son has today (January 2) joined the duty as a Correctional Officer in Canada. My daughter is also settled in Canada and working as a private dentist. Both of my children were brilliant in their studies.”
“We belong to an agrarian family of Kotli Sanghar village. None of us had earlier got a government job abroad.”
I am feeling proud that my son is following in my footsteps. I had joined the state police in 1992… My son has today (January 2) joined duty as a Correctional Officer in Canada. — Kaur Singh Brar, father of Jashanpreet -
India-born entrepreneur Firdaus Kharas gets one of Canada’s highest honors
The annual list of 2023 appointees to the Order of Canada is released by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon
OTTAWA (TIP): Firdaus Kharas, an India-born entrepreneur and thought leader, has been appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest honors, for advancing social change through human-centred media. The annual list of 2023 appointees to the Order of Canada was released by Governor General of Canada Mary Simon on Thursday.The Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest honors. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to Canada.
Simon’s office announced three new appointments of “companions” — the highest level of the Order of Canada — 15 officers, including one honorary officer and 59 members.
Kharas, 68, had been appointed officer of the Order of Canada “for advancing social change through human-centered media as a social entrepreneur, humanitarian and mass communications media producer”.“I am deeply moved to receive this high honor, which is especially meaningful to me as an immigrant. Although a high achieving community, Parsis are a minuscule community numbering only 3,600 in Canada, so it is extremely satisfying to be noticed in this way,” Kharas said in a statement.
Appointees will be invited to an investiture ceremony at a later date to receive their insignia. The dates of these ceremonies will be announced in due course. Kharas is a renowned producer of social and behavioral change communications which has been seen by over a billion people. He founded Chocolate Moose Media in 1995, a social enterprise, to create mass communications to better the human condition.
His work has been used in 198 countries, including in several languages throughout India. He is the recipient of 125 awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award and several honorary doctorates from universities.
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Indian American technocrat Suhas Subramanyam vows to keep defending reproductive rights
ASHBURN, VA (TIP) : Suhas Subramanyam, an Indian American technocrat, has vowed to continue defending reproductive rights despite Loudoun County Republican party’s calls to ban him from houses of worship in Northern Virginia over his pro-choice record.
“Millions of Virginians of every political and religious background support a woman’s right to choose, and I’m proud to have championed reproductive rights for years in the General Assembly,” said the son of Indian Americans who is running for the US Congress in Virginia’s 10th District.
“To suggest that I or any other pro-choice Virginian should be banned from practicing our faith is outrageous and contrary to the values of our commonwealth and our country,” he stated in response to Loudon Republican party committee’s call.
“I will continue to proudly practice my faith and celebrate the diverse religious traditions in Virginia’s 10th District, and I will not back down from my commitment to defending every woman’s reproductive right from the right-wing extremists who are relentlessly pursuing a nationwide abortion ban.”
The Loudoun County Republican Committee called for Subramanyam – the first Indian American, South Asian, and Hindu ever elected to the General Assembly – to be “denied access” to houses of worship in a statement posted on Facebook.
The statement was in response to Subramanyam’s call for mifepristone — a drug that blocks a hormone called progesterone that is needed for a pregnancy to continue — access to be protected as right-wing MAGA activists once again take their push to ban abortion nationwide to the Supreme Court.
Subramanyam, who served as a technology policy advisor to President Barack Obama, says his family’s story in America began in Virginia’s 10th District when his mother immigrated to the United States through Dulles Airport in 1979.
His mother, a native of Bengaluru, India, immigrated to the United States to unite with his father, live her American dream, and pursue a career in medicine.
Subramanyam’s parents raised him to value service to the community above all else. Whether as a Capitol Hill aide, advisor to the Obama White House, an elected official in Richmond, or as a volunteer EMT, he has taken that lesson to heart throughout his life, Subramanyam says.
“Every step of the way, he has taken on the toughest fights to deliver real results for our community,” he stated.
After leaving the White House, Subramanyam started his own small business in Loudoun County and served the community as a volunteer medic, EMT, and firefighter.
Subramanyam resides in Ashburn, Virginia, with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters. -
Indian American Ash Kalra named chair of California Assembly Judiciary Committee
SACRAMENTO (TIP): Ash Kalra, the first Indian American elected to the California State Assembly, has been appointed Chair of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary by Speaker Robert Rivas.
“At a time when California must be vigilant in protecting civil rights, fostering a just legal system, and ensuring everyday consumers are protected, it is an honor to serve as Chair of Judiciary Committee,” Kalra stated after his appointment on Nov 22.
“Having served on this committee for the past seven years under Chairs Stone and Maienschein, I am grateful for their leadership and ready to hit the ground running,” he added. “I am thankful to Speaker Robert Rivas for his confidence and this opportunity to further serve the people of California.”
“The justice system is foundational to keeping Californians safe and holding offenders accountable. I’m confident Assemblymember Kalra will fight for the rights of the people who matter most, while ensuring the system itself is just,” Rivas said.
The Assembly Committee on Judiciary’s primary jurisdictions include family law, product liability, tort liability, Civil Code, and Evidence Code (excluding criminal procedure).
Kalra had most recently served as Chair of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee for the past five years.
He was first elected in 2016, becoming the first Indian American to serve in the California Legislature in state history, and was re-elected to his fourth term in 2022.
In the State Assembly, he has authored successful legislation promoting secure and peaceful communities for all residents, including protecting and preserving civil rights and civil liberties, and has dedicated his tenure in public service to equity and social justice issues, according to his website.
Kalra represents California’s 25th Assembly District, which encompasses the majority of San José, including downtown and open space areas in southeast Santa Clara County.
Kalra has a law degree from Georgetown University and was a Deputy Public Defender for Santa Clara County for 11 years. As a public defender, he represented indigent clients in both felony and misdemeanor matters. -
Indian American high school student Bianca Jain wins Congressional App Challenge for New York district
NEW YORK (TIP) : Bianca Jain, a 9th-grade Indian American student of Briarcliff High School in New York, has won the prestigious Congressional App Challenge for the state’s 17th District.
Bianca’s app, Cancer Awareness Hub, was inspired by the recent diagnosis of a community librarian with cancer. That revelation inspired her to think of ways she could prevent increases in cancer cases.
Mike Lawler, US Representative for the district visited the school to congratulate Jain recently. “I had the opportunity to congratulate Bianca in person at her school last week,” said Lawler. “As someone who has lost members of their family to cancer, I was personally moved by Bianca’s app, which raises awareness about different types of cancer to help detect and combat this deadly disease.”
Jain’s app was chosen by a panel of expert judges and will be featured on CongressionalAppChallenge.us. The winning app is also eligible to be on display in the US Capitol, along with the winners from across the country.
Officially launched by the US House of Representatives in 2015, the Congressional App Challenge allows students to compete against their peers by creating an application for desktop/PC, web, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi or other devices.
It accepts any programming language, such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or “block code.” The Challenge is designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science.
The Congressional App Challenge is the most prestigious prize in student computer science, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. It’s open to all middle and high school students in a Congressional district. Each challenge is district specific.
US Representatives publicly recognize their winning teams, and each winning app may be put on display in the US Capitol Building for one year.
The Congressional Internet Caucus initiates the annual CAC. The Non-profit Internet Education Foundation has been appointed to provide the CAC with supplemental staffing and support. -
Terror funding case: Indian held in UK extradited to United States
LONDON (TIP): An Indian national arrested in London on a provisional American warrant as part of a US-UK coordinated action targeting terrorism financing has been extradited to the US after consenting to face trial in America, the British authorities said on Tuesday, December 19. Madurai-born Sundar Nagarajan (65) was arrested from Hayes in west London on April 18. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told Westminster Magistrates’ Court at the time that Nagarajan, linked to the Hizballah terrorist organization, was a “requested person” (RP) by the US authorities for fraud and money laundering offences.
(Source: PTI) -
2 Indian-origin men jailed for 34 years in UK for drug smuggling
LONDON (TIP): Two Indian-origin men have been sentenced to prison in the UK for smuggling cocaine, cannabis and cigarettes into the country hidden in shipments of perishable goods. Anand Tripathi (61) and Varun Bhardwaj (39) were both sentenced to 19 years and 15 years in jail, respectively, after they were convicted in November, following a 71-day trial at Isleworth Crown Court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
They were also sentenced for not paying 9,774,220 pounds in import duties and VAT on 18.6 million cigarettes they smuggled on three dates, separate from the drug imports.The court heard that in total the men imported 272.86 kg of cocaine and 2,503.36 kg of cannabis across four shipments between September 2021 and November 2022. One shipment contained just over two tons of cannabis hidden amongst yams from Ghana. Another containing 49 kg of cocaine was concealed with oranges from South Africa. The drugs had an estimated street value of 28.9 million pounds but were all seized before they could be sold on and later destroyed by police. “These two men played vital roles in trying to flood UK streets with huge quantities of illegal drugs. The cost and damage to lives that drugs cause in our society is incalculable,” Richard Partridge from the CPS said. “This conspiracy was only made possible by Anand Tripathi’s experience in importation and customs clearance, and Varun Bhardwaj’s willingness to assume day-to-day management of their operation.”
Partridge added that there were others involved in the scheme who haven’t yet been identified.
The scheme involved the pair using their freight company as a cover to clear shipping containers that held drugs and cigarettes and diverting them from their intended destination to a warehouse they controlled.
There they would be offloaded by organized crime groups, according to the CPS. It was exposed when they failed to divert one container which instead went to a farm in Somerset in April 2022. The farmer found plastic covered blocks of cocaine with a street value of 15 million pounds hidden amongst animal feed from Colombia.
(Source: IANS) -
Indian-origin undercover reporter Balakrishnan Balagopal finds exploitation of care workers in UK
LONDON (TIP): A UK-based reporter from Kerala who went undercover as a care assistant in a care home for the elderly in north-east England discovered worrying levels of exploitation of staff, many of them recruited from overseas countries such as India.
Balakrishnan Balagopal’s report for the ‘BBC Panorama’ investigation, which will be telecast here on Monday, December 18 evening, found care givers being charged thousands of pounds by an Indian recruitment agency and nurses locked into lengthy contracts with a care home with financial penalties if they tried to leave jobs.
According to official statistics for the past year, 140,000 visas were issued to overseas workers to come to the UK to meet staff shortages in the health and care industry and 39,000 of these went to people from India.
“As I delved deeper into the lives of overseas caregivers, I heard a narrative of exploitation, debt, separation from family, and the constant fear of making mistakes,” Balagopal said in a statement.
“The pursuit of a permanent visa became a tightrope walk, impacting the quality of care provided. The very individuals tasked with ensuring the happiness and well-being of residents found them entangled in a web of instability. Nurses and care workers from overseas eligible for a skilled worker visa need to be sponsored by an employer. In theory, they can switch jobs but within a limited timeframe, which can give employers a certain exploitative hold over them.
The ‘Care Workers Under Pressure’ investigation for the BBC comes soon after the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the independent body advising the UK government on immigration, warned of exploitation in the country’s social care sector in its annual report released last week.
“Underfunding and consequential low pay contributes to the exploitation of workers in the social care sector. Migrants in the sector on the H&CW (Health & Care Worker) visa are even more susceptible to exploitation as their right to reside in the UK is directly linked to their employer, creating a power imbalance,” the report notes.
It issued a series of recommendations for the government to crack down on the exploitation of workers in the social care sector.
“Government could consider greater support for migrants when they enter employment and when experiencing exploitation in the UK… such as creating a portal specifically for the care sector where vacancies that would allow migrants to switch employer are posted,” it said.
MAC also called on the government to ensure higher wages for the sector on the whole in a bid to wean it off the over-reliance on lower-paid migrant workers.
Earlier this month, the Home Office announced that such care workers on a visa will be banned from bringing any close family members as dependents from the New Year. The move has been categorized as “extremely unfair” by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the UK’s largest representative body for doctors and nurses of Indian origin. “For anyone to provide a satisfactory and good quality care service, they can’t be separated from their own family,” said BAPIO founder Dr Ramesh Mehta. -
Eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl chess prodigy named Europe’s best female player
LONDON (TIP): An eight-year-old British Indian schoolgirl has made chess history after being named the “super talented” best female player at a European championship. Bodhana Sivanandan, from Harrow in north-west London, won the European Blitz Chess Championship in Zagreb, Croatia, over the weekend after a winning streak since she took up chess during the COVID pandemic lockdown.
In the European championship, she went head-to-head with some of the best players in the world and defeated an international master to win her crown.
“Eight-year-old super talented Bodhana Sivanandan made an astonishing result in the Blitz competition. She scored 8.5/13 points to win the first women prize and earn 211.2 blitz ELO points,” said the European Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, which concluded in Croatia on Sunday.
Praise for the chess prodigy has since been pouring in on social media, with leading professionals highlighting her “unbelievable” performance. “I always try my best to win, sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t,” Bodhana told the media after her win.
Father, Siva Sivanandan said his daughter was “trying her best and it has worked in favor of her”.
“She likes chess and she likes travelling. We keep trying and keep going,” he said.
A few months ago, Sivanandan was among a group of young chess enthusiasts invited by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to 10 Downing Street to mark the government’s major new GBP 1 million investment package for the game.The package has since been put in place to support children attending schools in disadvantaged areas across England to learn and play chess, improve visibility and availability of the game and fund elite playing.
“I was struggling to support my son with the required chess tournaments and coaching instrumental to his development at such a young and crucial age,” said Jitendra Singh, father of another British Indian chess prodigy nine-year-old Shreyas Royal.
“With this grant from the government we will be able to help more kids flourish at the game through the hard-working organizations of the English Chess Federation and chess in schools and communities. I believe that it is also a very beneficial hobby and would love to see more people getting into the game from this monumental announcement,” he said.
As part of the package, the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) says it will invest GBP 500,000 in the English Chess Federation (ECF) over two years in order to develop the next generation of world-class talent.
Funds will support expert coaching, training camps and cutting-edge computer analysis for international events to assist current grandmasters and up-and-coming players.
“We want to give more young people the opportunity to find the thing that they love and realize their potential. So, this package is focused on getting more young people playing chess and supporting them to develop their talent,” said UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.
“We’re also equipping our elite chess players with expert coaching to help them dominate at the highest levels of the global game and restore England’s reputation among the best in the world,” she said. Alongside the support committed to elite players, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will provide GBP 250,000 to 85 local authorities across England to install 100 new chess tables in public parks and outdoor green spaces, to allow more people to play, connect, tackle loneliness, and develop problem solving skills.
In addition, the Sunak-led government has set out plans to encourage more primary school children, particularly girls, to learn to play the game. The UK Department for Education said it will award grants of up to GBP 2,000 to at least 100 schools in disadvantaged areas across England, subject to interest. -
London housing block named after British Indian spy Noor Inayat Khan
‘It is wonderful that the residents of Camden voted to name the housing block after Noor Inayat Khan”- Khan’s biographer Shrabani Basu.
LONDON (TIP): A council housing block in north London has been named after British Indian spy and descendent of Tipu Sultan, Noor Inayat Khan, following a ballot of local residents to choose from a shortlist of the area’s historic inhabitants. Camden Council unveiled the “Noor Inayat Khan House” at a ceremony on Wednesday, December 20, attended by local Labour Party MP and Opposition leader Keir Starmer, Khan’s biographer Shrabani Basu and Camden Council leaders and residents.
Camden was the borough where young Noor lived with her family before she left for Nazi-occupied France in 1943 after being recruited as an undercover radio operator for Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE), becoming the first woman to be dropped behind enemy lines during the Second World War.
“It is wonderful that the residents of Camden voted to name the housing block after Noor Inayat Khan; the people of Camden have truly taken Noor to heart, and she is known and loved in the borough,” said Basu, the London-based author of ‘Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan’.
In her speech at the unveiling, she noted: “Today we remember Noor Inayat Khan as a heroine of the war, a young woman of Indian origin, who unhesitatingly gave her life in the fight against Fascism. But it is not just her bravery and loyalty that we remember. At a time when conflict is rife in the world, and countries and communities are divided by gunfire and walls, it is important to remember the values that Noor stood for.
“She was a Sufi, she believed in religious tolerance, she believed in non-violence and peace between nations. Today, let us take away her message for peace and harmony.”
In 2020, the English Heritage charity unveiled a Blue Plaque at 4 Taviton Street in Bloomsbury to commemorate Khan’s home in Camden, following a memorial installed nearby at Gordon Square by the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust in 2012.
The new housing block in the name of the war heroine shot dead aged just 30 at Dachau concentration camp in 1944 forms part of a social housing project to deliver more affordable homes in London.
“This isn’t just about some bricks and some windows and a roof; this is about life chances, aspiration and equal opportunity for everyone. When I was growing up we didn’t have a lot of money, but we did have a house. And that gave me the security to go on and do some of the things that I’ve done in my life. I want every child to have that chance,” said Starmer, member of Parliament for Holborn and St. Pancras in Camden.
Each of the three new residential buildings at the Maitland Park redevelopment has been named after prominent local figures as part of Camden Council’s strategy for diversity in the public spaces.
Besides Noor Inayat Khan, a second block commemorates Mary Prince – the first black woman to have an autobiography published in Britain and a third is named after Antony Grey – an LGBTQ+ activist whose work led to decriminalization of homosexuality for men.
“Residents have shaped the legacy of where they live by helping to choose three remarkable figures from our local community to name their new buildings after,” said Councillor Danny Beales, Camden Council Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs, and Community Investment.
The council said the redevelopment at the Maitland Park Estate in Haverstock is the latest social housing project to reach completion in Camden since the council announced the expansion of its house-building programme by committing an extra GBP 1.3 billion investment towards building new homes for residents.