Friday, April 21, 2006

Hit ya Miss

I read this article today on the Times of India.

WASHINGTON: An Indian graduate student in the US who posted inflammatory messages on an internet bulletin board has been arrested and charged with threatening to kill President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Vice-president Dick Cheney and top Republican leaders.
Vikram Buddhi, a Purdue University graduate student, allegedly posted the detailed and threatening messages on a Yahoo finance board. A concerned citizen contacted the Secret Service office to report the offensive messages, leading to an investigation and the subsequent arrest, according to the local Post-Tribune newspaper of Gary, Indiana, which first reported the story on Tuesday.
But Buddhi's attorney John Martin contended that his client's actions should be covered by the First Amendment (pertaining to free speech) since he would have never actually carried out his threats. He hoped Buddhi would be released from jail following his detention hearing on Wedneday so he can return to studying. ''What was allegedly said certainly is derogatory and may be inflammatory,'' Martin said in a phone interview. ''But it was just chatter on the web and not a serious threat.''
In the various posted messages, Buddhi is said to have urged readers to bomb the United States and rape American and British women and mutilate them, according to court documents cited by the paper. Other messages called for the killing of all Republicans. Martin said Buddhi had posted ''two to four'' messages in December last year.
He was subsequently questioned by authorities and let go with a warning. However, the authorities returned on Easter weekend with charges under 18 US Code 871 that deals with threats to the US President and his successors to the Presidency. Conviction under the charges invites a fine and a prison sentence of not more than five years.

Needless to say that I was shocked. While reading the article, I had a niggling sensation at the back of my head. I'd heard the name before. I vaguly recall him - he had been my TA for a math class taken in college. I remember the guy - a rather soft spoken, mild mannered person. This was definitly a shocker!
Aah - Its amazing what a few passionate opinions verbalized in some form makes one famous - or in this case - infamous!
Good Luck Vikram - I hope you come out of this one unscathed...