Click to play videoNew Delhi: It’s a father's desperate attempt to get justice for his son. Vikram Buddhi, who is languishing in a federal jail in Chicago for the past 30 months, for a crime that his father, Dr BK Subbrao, claims he never committed.
Of the 11 charges slapped on his son by a district court in Chicago, Subbarao says, there's not a whisper about the primary allegation – of posting threatening messages against then US president George W Bush on a chat board.
"Judge refused to instruct the jury and the defence attorney was warned not to raise this matter about law and the evidence. A helpless jury declared him guilty,” Subbarao said.
As a last ditch effort, Subbarao on Thursday turned to External Affairs Minister SM Krishna for help who reportedly agreed that Vikram is a victim of an unfair and non-transparent trial.
“Mr Krishna said how can the charge be correct? There is something fishy in the trial,” Subbarao said.
The Minster assured Subbarao that the Indian embassy in the US will be contacted. And officials will be asked to approach the Attorney General to review the case.
Vikram, an IIT graduate and a doctorate from Purdue University in the US, was arrested in 2006.
In June 2007, a US district court in Indiana allegedly held him guilty of posting anti-Bush messages on the Internet.
Now, time is running out for him. He is scheduled for sentencing on November 19. But it is not just his future which is on the line, the credibility of America's justice system and the Indian government’s diplomacy is also on trial.
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