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Held for "blackmailing"

New Delhi: An Indian-born IITian has been arrested by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations for allegedly blackmailing a top U.S. official over a "sexual exploitation" row. Rajadata A Patkar, who, according to his family, was also the Japanese interpreter for the late former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, has been in the police custody since March 3, 2007 for allegedly blackmailing Robert alias Bob Awana, Secretary to the Governor of Hawai, over the latter's alleged sexual exploitation of Jullie Mae, a Philippine national and the accused's girl friend.

The allegation against Mr. Rajadata was that while working in Tokyo he hacked the e-mail ID of his girl friend from which he learnt of her alleged sexual exploitation by the U.S. official. Subsequently, it was alleged, Mr. Rajadata started blackmailing Mr. Awana and reportedly pocketed about $ 4,000, a charge denied by him. In a habeas corpus petition filed before the Supreme Court on Monday, Mr. Patkar's mother Snehalata Patkar sought production of her son in India on the ground that his arrest by the U.S. police on "false charges" was illegal and Mr. Rajadata being an Indian citizen could be tried only in India for the alleged offence. A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and D.K. Jain, however, rejected the petition on the reasoning that it could not give any direction to the U.S. administration. — PTI

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Held for "blackmailing"

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