An Indian-origin man from Texas has been charged with federal hate crime by United States authorities after he allegedly threatened to injure and kill the employees of a Sikh non-profit organisation.
In September 2022, the man, 48-year-old Bhushan Athale, allegedly sent voicemails to the phone number of an organisation that advocates for the civil rights of Sikhs in the United States.
“Athale left seven voicemails expressing extreme hatred toward Sikh individuals working at this same organisation and threatening to injure or kill these individuals with a razor,” an official press release said.
In March last year, the 48-year-old again allegedly sent two more voicemails to the number of the same organisation, this time using violent imagery against both Sikhs and Muslims.
“The investigation reflects that Athale has a long history of making religious-based comments and threats,” the United States Department of Justice said. The authorities alleged that he had said to a former colleague on a professional networking site that he hated Pakistan and Muslims.
Athale, if convicted, will face up to ten years in jail for interfering with federally protected activities and five years in jail for transmitting an interstate threat.
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