IIT alumni get together to back Buddhi in the US

Vikram Buddhi, the Indian techie jailed in the US for allegedly sending threat mails to former president George W Bush, is receiving support from his alma mater, the prolific umbrella of IIT graduates.

Last week, a US court sentenced Buddhi to 4 years and 9 months of imprisonment and 3 months of probation if he is not deported. Several IIT passouts are collecting funds to hire a lawyer. “Vikram is not an isolated case. He represents the Indian student community in the US,” said Subbarao, Vikram’s father.

“Through our channels, we have appealed to our brethren to use our contacts to get a pro-bono attorney to file appeal against the judgment. We also have asked for donations to gather money for his lawyer’s fees,” said Somnath Bharti, advocate and partner, Bharti & Associates (Advocates and Corporate Lawyers) and an alumni of IIT Delhi.

The IIT alumni is planning to write emails and letters to the Indian prime minister’s office and the US president Barack Obama’s office to register their anguish and concerns. “We are planning to organise a march to the PMO as a mark of protest in the careless way in which the matter is being handled by the Indian authorities,” said Bharti.

The alumni world over is also planning to begin an online campaign in support of Buddhi. Criticising the trial on various counts, Bharti said: “My campaign for Buddhi is basically to create an awareness. It could happen to any one of us.”

Vikram, a Navi Mumbai resident, was pursuing applied mathematics at Purdue University. He was arrested in April 2006 for allegedly issuing threats to Bush.