Gujarat man sentenced to 10 years in US after Indian family of four froze to death in smuggling attempt
Representative image
Three years after a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded along the US-Canada border, the man convicted of planning a human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of four Indian migrants has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, an Indian national from Gujarat, was handed the sentence on Wednesday at a federal courthouse in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He was found guilty last year of four counts related to an international smuggling scheme. Prosecutors said Patel played a key role in a criminal network that brought people from India to Canada, then attempted to sneak them into the United States across a remote and often dangerous stretch of land.
The plan turned deadly in January 2022 when Jagdish Patel, 39; his wife, Vaishaliben; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and three-year-old son, Dharmik, all from the village of Dingucha in Gujarat, froze to death during a blizzard as they attempted to cross the border. The family's bodies were found just north of the Minnesota-Manitoba border.
US district judge John Tunheim, who presided over the case, called the tragedy 'extraordinary' and 'unimaginable,' AP quoted.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Has Honda Done It Again? The New Honda CR-V is Finally Here.
TheFactualist
Undo
'These were deaths that were clearly avoidable,' he said during sentencing.
Federal prosecutors had pushed for a harsher sentence of nearly 20 years, citing Patel's leadership role and the fatal consequences of his actions. Acting US attorney Lisa Kirkpatrick said the case was driven by Patel's personal greed.
'We should make no mistake, it was the defendant's greed that set in motion the facts that bring us here today,' Kirkpatrick told the court.
Patel, dressed in an orange prison uniform and shackled, did not speak during the hearing and showed no visible emotion as the sentence was delivered. He is expected to be deported to India after serving his term.
The case also involved Steve Anthony Shand, a Florida man who was set to pick up the migrants after their crossing. Shand, who was also convicted, faced sentencing on the same day. According to prosecutors, Shand texted Patel during the night of the fatal journey, saying, 'we not losing any money.'
Court documents detailed the harsh conditions that claimed the family's lives. With wind chill temperatures at -38°C, the father reportedly tried to shield his young son's face from the blistering cold with a frozen glove. The mother died slumped against a chain-link fence she may have believed marked safety.
Seven others in the group survived, though some suffered frostbite and hypothermia. One man said he had never seen snow before arriving in Canada.
Patel's defence insisted he was no more than a 'low man on the totem pole' in the scheme and requested a sentence of time served, just 18 months. But the judge rejected the argument, noting there was overwhelming evidence linking Patel to the operation under the alias 'Dirty Harry.'
Despite his conviction, Patel continues to deny involvement in the smuggling ring and plans to appeal. His lawyers have applied for a publicly funded attorney, citing lack of income and assets.
The tragedy has cast a long shadow over the village of Dingucha, where many residents have sought to migrate abroad. Local reports say the Patels were schoolteachers seeking a better life.
'This was not a close case,' Judge Tunheim concluded in a previous ruling refusing to overturn the jury's verdict.
The sentencing closes a dark chapter in a story that has highlighted the risks migrants take, and the cost of those who exploit their hopes.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Huge traffic jam in Jaipur as couple's intimate moment at hotel draws crowd
A video shot from a flyover outside a five-star hotel in Jaipur, showing a couple sharing an intimate moment through large uncovered windows of their room in the Civil Lines area, has gone incident took place at around 10.30 pm on Tuesday, June 17. Passersby on the busy road and nearby Bharat Jodo Setu bridge noticed the couple and began recording, with one clip quickly spreading across social media uncovered bedroom window overlooked a bustling street where vehicles abruptly stopped as drivers became aware of the scene causing a traffic jam. One motorist even captured the moment on their phone Onlookers teased and stared openly at the hotel room while the couple appeared unaware of the management has denied any knowledge of the video or the incident and refused to confirm the hotel's identity or the footage's couple's identity remains unknown. However, many social media users have condemned the filming and said that recording individuals without consent is a breach of privacy and may violate Indian cyber and privacy laws. IN THIS STORY#Rajasthan
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian student, 23, killed in truck crash in Australia, family in Punjab village devastated
A young Indian man has died in a tragic truck crash near Perth, Western Australia. He has been identified as Arshpreet Singh Khahra, a 23-year-old international student who was also working as a truck driver. Indian-origin truck driver killed in major crash on Great Eastern Highway in Wooroloo.(Pexels (Representational Image)) According to a report in 7 News Australia, the crash took place just after 8:15 am on Tuesday on the Great Eastern Highway near the Old Northam Road intersection in Wooroloo, northeast of Perth. Arshpreet was driving a white Volvo truck when it reportedly veered off the road, smashed through a barrier, overturned, and caught fire. Emergency services, including ambulances and firefighters, quickly reached the spot. Sadly, Arshpreet, who was the only person in the truck, was found trapped inside the burning vehicle and declared dead at the scene. Also Read: Noida man dies in cab accident, family claims driver fell asleep at wheel Family shocked, calls for fast return of body: Arshpreet was originally from Tarn Taran, a town in Punjab, India. He had moved to Australia to study and was working part-time as a truck driver. A report in Sea 7 Australia says that his family in India is devastated by the news and has requested the government to speed up the process of bringing his body home. Arshpreet's death has brought Western Australia's road toll for 2025 to 93- the highest number recorded by this time of year in over a decade. The truck was found split in half and badly burnt, and the exact cause of the crash is still under investigation. Also Read: Uber's 'Advance Tip' feature lands it in trouble as CCPA issues notice. Internet drags Ola, Rapido Footage from the crash site shows the truck broken in half and burnt so badly it cannot be recognised. Police are still looking into what caused the crash. Arshpreet Singh Khahra's sudden death has left his family and community heartbroken. As police continue to investigate what caused the crash, his loved ones are hoping for answers and a quick return of his body to India. 'He had come to Australia as an international student,' Sea7 Australia wrote. 'After hearing the news of his death, the family members in the village are in a state of grief and have demanded that the Government bring the body to India as soon as possible. 'The Punjabi community in Australia has also expressed grief.'
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Afghan national with LOC from Kolkata held at Bhubaneswar airport with fake passport
Bhubaneswar: A 54-year-old Afghan national, against whom a look out circular (LOC) had been issued by Kolkata airport authorities, was arrested on Sunday at Odisha's Biju Patnaik International Airport with fake documents, including an Indian passport, police said. The police said that Yousaf had illegally entered India in 2018 with a false Indian identity and secured official documents through forged means (Sourced) The accused, Mohammad Yousaf, was intercepted during a routine immigration clearance at Biju Patnaik airport in Bhubaneswar on Saturday evening, shortly after he arrived from Dubai on an IndiGo flight. A police officer said that airport police authorities arrested Yousaf following a complaint by deputy superintendent of police (immigration) Samapika Pattnaik. 'His team during a routine immigration clearance of Flight No. 6E-1488 arriving from Dubai spotted him with the counterfeit Indian passport ,' he said. Around ₹ 80,000 in cash, a smartphone, two gold earrings, a motorcycle registration certificate, and bank documents in the forged name were seized from his possession, the officer said. The police said that Yousaf had illegally entered India in 2018 with a false Indian identity and secured official documents through forged means. He had been residing in Peyton Sahi, Buxi Bazar area of Cuttack and operating under the alias Yaha Khan. The immigration team, while conducting a thorough background check, also found a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by Kolkata airport authorities, the officer added. 'Yousaf confessed to his real identity during interrogation and admitted to fabricating multiple official documents such as Aadhaar, PAN card, voter ID, and driving license apart from the fake Indian passport. He used the forged documents to travel, conduct business, and open bank accounts across states,' the officer said. Yousaf was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. Further investigation is underway to uncover any wider network and potential national security implications.
