Vikram Buddhi

Vikram S. Buddhi (born May 10, 1971) is an Indian Ph.D. student and teaching assistant at Purdue University who was convicted in 2007 for threatening to kill United States President George W. Bush, and Vice-President Dick Cheney via his Yahoo account, and publishing them online.[1][2][3][4] The Department of Immigration quickly detained him after his release from prison since he did not have a valid visa, and he was then expelled to India.[5]

Vikram Buddhi
Born1971 (age 51–52)
India
Occupation(s)Student and Teaching Assistant
Criminal statusReleased
Parent(s)Captain Buddhi K Subbarao and Syamala Buddhi
Criminal chargethreatening the life of George W. Bush and Bush's family
Penaltysentenced to 57 months of prison

Biography

Buddhi was born to Syamala Buddhi and Captain Buddhi K Subbarao.[6] His father was a senior defense scientist with the Indian aavy who had been tried for leaking naval secrets in 1988. However, he was acquitted in 1993.[7] The charges were that he was leaking naval secrets which turned out to be his own Ph.D. thesis which was a document available freely in libraries of reputed institutions of Nuclear Research.

Trial

The prosecution has alleged that Buddhi posted messages on a Yahoo business discussion forum which appeared in December 2005 and January 2006 calling upon the people of Iraq to retaliate against the Iraq war and kill then-president George W. Bush, vice-president Dick Cheney and their spouses. Buddhi's lawyer Somnath Bharti has alleged that the indictment did not mention any of the alleged charges and the prosecution failed to establish Buddhi as the author of the messages although they originated from a Purdue University IP address. Buddhi had hacked the Yahoo IDs of thousands of Purdue University Students, then used those hacked stolen IDs to spread anti-Bush, Anti-War messages across Yahoo's Discussion Boards, using an automated software program known as a "Bot".[8]

Buddhi was sentenced in 2007 to 4 years, 9 months in prison.[9]

Reaction

Buddhi has received considerable support from the alumni and staff of the IITs, who have joined with his father and lobbied for his release with External Affairs Minister, SM Krishna[2] and former US President Bill Clinton.[3]

See also
  • Dr. Buddhi Kotasubbarao, "Roxana Saberi And Vikram Buddhi – Compel A Comparison," 21 April 2009, countercurrents.org
  • Buddhi v. USA, Motion to Vacate / Correct Illegal Sentence, filed 15 April 2013, Indiana Northern District Court

References
  1. "Student Convicted of Threatening to Kill President Bush, Faces Up to 35 Years in Prison". Associated Press. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. PTI (7 October 2009). "IIT teachers, students demand release of Vikram Buddhi". Daily News & Analysis. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. NDTV Correspondent (6 October 2009). "Will Clinton help free IIT alumnus from US jail?". NDTV. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  4. "Vikram Buddhi not giving up". Times Now. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  5. "Newspaper Report", The Times of India, 6 July 2011, archived from the original on 29 March 2013
  6. Singh, Vijay (10 May 2009). "Free my son, make me happy: Mother's Day plea to Obama". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. Singh, Vijay (21 April 2006). "Vikram has been framed". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  8. "Indian student languishes in US jail, alleges abuse". The Economic Times. 18 October 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  9. "IIT alumnus Vikram Buddhi sentenced to 4 years, 9 months in prison". DNA India. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
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