Family appeals to External Affairs Ministry to intervene
After a New York court held Indian-American fashion designer Anand Jon “not guilty” on 48 out of 49 charges of sexual assault while allowing him a plea bargain for the remaining charge, his lawyers and family on Monday demanded his extradition to India, while appealing to the External Affairs Ministry to intervene on his behalf.
“He should be brought to India,” said advocate Majeed Memon, addressing a press conference here.
He added that initially when Anand was awaiting trial for various crimes ranging from unlawful restraint to rape, drugging, and even mafia death threats, he was treated like a guilty man. “His arms and legs were tied up and he had to hold a pen in his mouth to communicate with us,” added Mr. Memon, in the presence of Anand’s sister Sanjana and mother Shashi Abraham.
He alleged that the trial, from the beginning, was staged, and that the charges were a conspiracy, the result of a “calculated move to ruin Anand Jon’s career when he was right at the top.”
He said there were several unexplained details in the case, and that he was most surprised while studying the case files, especially due to the fact that Anand’s victims had preferred to be associated with him, even after the alleged assaults had happened.
Sanjana Jon said: “I still feel it’s a bad dream and I keep pinching myself. I will wake up from this bad dream only when Anand is free.”
The plea bargain or ‘time-served’ deal implies that the minimum sentence of five years might be commuted instead of the maximum 25 years.
This implies Anand might be immediately free, if the ‘59 years to life’ sentence in California is reversed.
Keywords: Anand Jon, New York trial, molestation charges, fashion designer Anand Jon, Anand Jon trial
Anand Jon was not found "not guilty" of 30+ counts. He was not tried. That does not
, in an American Court room mean he was ascertained not guilty. He however
admitted to guilt, in New York , to a single criminal count. That means despite what
mother and sister claim, Anand Jon is a sex criminal. Also the so called
"conspiracy" floated by mother and sister is entirely laughable.
Sorry for Anand Jon's family. It's understandable how immediate family
members feel when their loved one is serving time in a prison especially
in a foreign land. Based on press reports and with a view of American
judicial system, Anand's crime is grave serious and I don't feel any
reason why his convictions in California will be overturned especially
that his crime involved aggravated sexual violence multiple victims to
the extent that some victims were below 14 years old.
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