City man jailed in US for 12 years writes to PMO for help

Ahmedabad: A 44-year-old man from Naranpura, currently serving a prison sentence in the United States for an alleged fraud targeting elderly Americans, has sought diplomatic intervention from the Indian govt. Nirav Patel, lodged at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Thomson, Illinois, has claimed he has been framed by his own family member who allegedly operated a fraudulent call centre network from Ahmedabad, and "wrongfully incarcerated".In a detailed representation dated April 24, Nirav appealed to the Prime Minister's Office, ministry of external affairs and Gujarat authorities for legal and humanitarian assistance. Patel, identified in US court records under Case No. 23-CR-30076, claimed he was sentenced to 12 years in prison in June 2025 in a fraud case involving elderly American citizens.In the letter, Nirav alleged that his relative, Dinesh alias "Bhola" or "Danny" Patel, originally from Naranpura and now based in Atlanta, Georgia, was the operation's mastermind. He accused Dinesh of running an organized call-centre racket from "Naranpura Gam, Ahmedabad", allegedly with political patronage."The Govt of the United States has charged me… with having defrauded elderly American citizens. I most solemnly affirm that these allegations are absolutely false and baseless," Nirav wrote. He further claimed: "I was cruelly used as an innocent pawn by my own relative who engaged me upon a paltry consideration of US $400 for what I was led to believe was the lawful collection of certain legal payments and documents."According to the representation, Nirav said he had unsuccessfully applied for a US visa thrice before eventually travelling on a visitor visa. He claimed he initially worked as a taxi driver in the US before being asked to collect gold bars by his relative, following which he was apprehended by federal agencies. He described the alleged fallout on his family as "tragic". His mother died because the family could not afford medical treatment, he wrote, adding that he was unable to attend her funeral. He also stated that his octogenarian father, despite suffering fractures in his hand and leg, had been forced to drive an autorickshaw to support the family. Nirav further claimed his children had dropped out of school due to financial distress.Calling himself "an innocent and helpless Indian", he urged Indian authorities to direct the Indian embassy in Washington and the consulate general in Chicago to provide him "full consular access, legal assistance and such other aid".