Indian arrested at Houston airport with "Jihadi" material

ganesh177

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Indian arrested at Houston airport with "Jihadi" material



There is little doubt that insecurity about all things Islamic has gripped the United States. First it was the fierce war of words over the mosque to be built near the site of the 9/11 attacks. Then it was the startling revelation that nearly one in five Americans believed that President Barack Obama was a Muslim.
And now, in a tale dripping with irony, an Indian on his way to Houston, Texas, to deliver a lecture to the Hindu Congress of America has been arrested for possessing what has been described by authorities as "Jihadi material."
Vijay Kumar (40), a documentary film-maker, was arrested at George Bush Intercontinental Airport last Friday after officials noticed him behaving oddly in the line for a security check.
According to reports, when Mr. Kumar was taken aside for secondary screening, his baggage was found to contain books and diagrams on espionage, information on U.S. military weaponry, and numerous publications mentioning on the subject of Jihad, including the mention of "infidels." When a set of brass knuckles, approximately $8,000, and more cash in other foreign currencies was uncovered in his bags, he was immediately arrested.
The Houston Examiner quoted one law enforcement officer as saying, "He had a ton of books," including publications written in Arabic, adding, "It definitely raised our concerns... Not your everyday passenger would have this sort of stuff and it definitely poses a concern for anyone involved in airport security."
Local media also reported that in Texas, brass-knuckles were prohibited by law so Mr. Kumar was booked on a felony charge of possessing a prohibited weapon in a prohibited place.
Further unconfirmed reports suggested that a machine for testing explosive materials was set off by Mr. Kumar's bags, prompting a scare that he was carrying a bomb. However that turned out to be a false alarm, with a second and third test of his bags both showing negative results.
After his arrest Mr. Kumar's bond was initially listed as $50,000. That was reduced to $5,000 after a hearing on Monday at a Harris County District Court.
Texas media quoted Mr. Kumar's attorney Grant Scheiner confirming that Mr. Kumar had surrendered his passport while considered the bail offer. Mr. Scheiner said, "I think that everybody realized that he is not a threat. He's a peaceful man."
Mr. Scheiner added that Mr. Kumar was in Houston to deliver a lecture to the Hindu Congress of America on an interfaith discussion between Hindus and Muslims about the harms of terrorism.


The Hindu : News / International : Indian arrested at Houston airport with "Jihadi" material




Indian held with jehadi literature in Houston


An Indian has been arrested for carrying jehadi literature at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, a media report said. Vijay Kumar, 40, was arrested on Friday after security officials searched his luggage when they noticed him behaving strangely, the New York Post reported on





Monday. Kumar said he is from Mumbai. Officers found books and diagrams on espionage, information on US military weaponry, publications mentioning "jehad" and "infidels," brass knuckles and at least $ 8,000 in US bills.
A swab initially detected residue from a homemade explosive on Kumar's bag but two subsequent tests came back negative, KPRC reported.
Kumar told investigators he was in Houston for an "Islamic seminar". He was being held on a $ 50,000 bond.
Indian held with jehadi literature - Hindustan Times


2 different sources, one claiming he was heading to deliver a lecture to "hindu congress of america", and another one claims he was heading for "Islamic Seminar".
Something is fishy.
And wth is "Hindu congress of america" ?
 
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The Messiah

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so you can be arrested for carrying books now ?


usa is going down the gutter....
 

Daredevil

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so you can be arrested for carrying books now ?


usa is going down the gutter....

I think he was also arrested because he was carrying undeclared currency of 10,000 dollars and Brass knuckles which are illegal in Texas, the place where he landed.
 

dineshchaturvedi

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USA is overcautious no doubt about that but at the same time if he is innocent he will be released.
 

Tshering22

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This is crazy! :emot15:.

What's wrong with US authorities? So now a person cannot even carry relevant material to make a documentary and brass knuckles for probably self-defense?
 
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Tshering22

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I think he was referring to the Hindu American Foundation. It is well known around the world that protects the interests of Hindus living in United States mainly and also other Western countries in general. But what's with the 2 claims? Is he really Vijay Kumar or some Pakistani posing as one?
 
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This is Obama's way of showing he is unbiased against muslims,especially now with the NY mosque issue reaching boiling point and a public acknowledgement by the white house that Obama is a Christian. This is just a cheap token Obama gesture , only thing he knows how to do as a president.
 
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SHASH2K2

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cheap publicity stunt and Indians are made scapegoats for MR OSAMA from America.
 

ganesh177

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If this is the guy then he is a national award winner.
Vijay Kumar - Film Maker - In Sync Film Makers


Indian's jihadi lit was for lecture: lawyer




Houston: Vijay Kumar, 40-year-old Indian documentary filmmaker from Mumbai has been arrested in Houston, Texas, for allegedly carrying suspicious Islamic literature.

The Houston police has reduced Kumar?s bail amount to $ 5,000 from a hefty $ 50,000. However, Kumar still remains in police custody ? in immigration hold - which goes to suggest that there are issues with his immigration status.

The documentary filmmaker was arrested on Friday at the Houston airport for carrying suspicious Islamic jihadi literature. Kumar's lawyer told the court that Kumar was carrying Islamic reading material for a lecture Kumar was supposed to deliver on the many dangers of terrorism before the Hindu Congress of America to which he was invited.

Along with material on terrorism, brass knuckles, termed as "prohibited weapon" were also found in Kumar?s luggage, supposedly meant for his own protection, explained Grant Scheiner, Kumar's attorney to CNN-IBN.

Indian's jihadi lit was for lecture: lawyer - India News - IBNLive
 

White Clouds

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If he was carrying prohibited weapon and more currency then I find no problem with the arrest. This guy should've known better and should have familiriased himself with the laws befre going there. There is no fault of US custom in this matter imo.
 

ajtr

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When a set of brass knuckles, approximately $8,000, and more cash in other foreign currencies was uncovered in his bags, he was immediately arrested. Local media also reported that in Texas, brass-knuckles were prohibited by law so Mr. Kumar was booked on a felony charge of possessing a prohibited weapon in a prohibited place.
He was arrested coz he was carrying prohibited weaponry brass knuckles in his baggage.And they are prohibited according to Texas state laws.So nothing odd i see in this arrest.Its just that TSA followed its rules.he must be careful while travelling.when they even dont use to allow even toothpaste onboard in carry on baggages.It was quite foolish of him carrying the brass knuckles.
 

ajtr

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India seeks report on film-maker's arrest


The government on Wednesday said it will seek a report from its U.S. mission into the arrest of an Indian documentary film-maker at the Houston airport for allegedly carrying "jihadi literature", brass knuckles and $10,000 in cash.

The 40-year-old Vijay Kumar was arrested at the George Bush Intercontinental airport on Friday after "acting suspicious," when screeners thought they saw a possible handgun in a scan of his baggage.

"We will seek a report into the incident," Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said here.

Mr. Kumar was in Houston to lecture a Hindu organisation about Islamic fundamentalism and the books packed in his checked luggage were educational tools, authorities and his lawyer told the court.

Attorneys for Mr. Kumar said that he has surrendered his passport.

The books and radical material was found in stacks, packed in Mr. Kumar's carry-on luggage, according to the police report.

U.S. officers also claimed to have found a pair of brass-knuckles in the luggage he had checked with his airline to be carried in the cargo hold of the aircraft.
 

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