India News
Sai Varshith Kandula, an Indian-origin individual, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for attempting to attack the White House with a truck two years ago. On May 22, 2023, Kandula, then 20 years old, crashed a truck into security barriers near the White House. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, his goal was to overthrow the democratically elected U.S. government and establish a regime based on Nazi ideology.
After pleading guilty, Kandula requested leniency in sentencing. Born in Chandigarh, India, he holds a green card allowing him permanent residency in the U.S. Along with the prison term, District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich also ordered three years of supervised release.
Kandula traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., on a one-way commercial flight on May 22, 2023. Upon arriving at Dulles International Airport at 5:20 PM, he rented a truck and drove to Washington, D.C. At approximately 9:35 PM, he crashed the rented truck into security barriers at the White House entrance.
After the initial collision, Kandula reversed and struck the barriers a second time. The truck malfunctioned due to a leak, and Kandula exited the vehicle, retrieving a Nazi swastika flag from his backpack and displaying it. Shortly after, U.S. authorities arrested him.
Kandula's actions, including attempting to breach White House security, were reportedly part of a plan to seize power. The case has drawn attention to issues of domestic terrorism and extremist ideologies in the U.S.
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