Indian-origin NASA scientist detained in US, forced to unlock phone

February 14, 2017

Houston, Feb 14: An Indian-origin NASA scientist has said he was detained and forced to unlock his PIN-protected work phone at the US border by custom officials.

SiddBikkannavar

Sidd Bikkannavar, 35, said in a post on social media that US Customs and Border Protection officers wanted his cell phone and password -- before they would let him through at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

"On my way home to the US last weekend, I was detained by Homeland Security and held with others who were stranded under the Muslim ban," Bikkannavar wrote in a Facebook post.

"I initially refused, since it's a (NASA)-issued phone and I must protect access," Bikkannavar wrote.

Bikkannavar, bornin Pasadena,designs technology for space telescopes likethe enormous James Webb telescopethat's set to be launched into orbit in 2018.

"Just to be clear -- I'm a US-born citizen and NASA engineer, travelling with a valid US passport. Once they took both my phone and the access PIN, they returned me to the holding area with cots and other sleeping detainees until they finished copying my data."

Bikkannavar spent a few weeks away pursuing his hobby of racing solar-powered cars.

As a member of a Chilean team, he visited Patagonia in early January under the Obama administration.

Hereturned after Trump took office and issued the executive order on travel into the United States.

Nothing about Bikkannavar should have caused concern for CBP — he's a natural–born US citizen, enrolled in a programme that allows individuals who've already passed background checks to quickly enter the country.

In addition, he has never visited the countries on the immigration ban, and he's 10-year employee of a major US federal agency.

"I don't know what to think about this. I was caught a little off guard by the whole thing," Bikkannavar told media here in a phone call.Bikkannavar detailed his experience on Facebook, explaining his absence to friends and coworkers.

The episode, aside from the profiling it ostensibly involved, also put him in a fix with his employers, because he was required to protect access to the phone.

"I'm back home, and JPL has been running forensics on the phone to determine what CBP/homeland security might have taken, or whether they installed anything on the device," Bikkannavar explained in the post, adding that he has also been working with JPL legal counsel and the lab has issued him a new phone and new phone number.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)filed numerous complaints in Januaryagainst CBP for demanding that Muslim-American citizens give up their social media information when they return home from overseas.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly issued a statement in response, tellingtheHouse Homeland Security Committee,"We want to get on their social media, with passwords: What do you do, what do you say? If they don’t want to cooperate then you don’t come in".

Clarification: Coastaldigest.com had initially called Sidd Bikkannavar a Muslim based on a report provided by a prominent Indian news agency that is usually reliable. However, it could not independently verify the claim. Even though the detained NASA scientist does not look very ‘foreign’, his last name is from the Hubli-Dharwad region in North Karnataka. In his social media post, he never mentioned his religion. He just stated that he was detained by Homeland Security and held with others who were stranded under the Muslim ban.

Comments

Naren kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

cmon man ... jews believe in same prophet who founded ur faith :) biggest joke .. adakke jews kandre kolli antha heli kodu alva ...jews women na kandre rape maadi antha helodu... brothers and sisters anthe ... kumda ...

Fairmen , curiosity , wow ... we went to a madrasa in search of knowledge ... but came to know half boileds are more and particualrly common sense ilve illa antha ... maatu yettidre jihad ....victim conspiracy and sumne kaage haarsode ... hogappa ammi biryani tinnu hogu ... kabbadii aado time aithu :)

Naren kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

hahaha lo maraya gut alla kano madrasa product , adakke helodu 'moojikaasda'?antha .... i like it .. i like it ... frustration nodrappa ... jingchak jigi jigi chak ...,mama gut andre enu gotta ... hahaha :) papa PFI and CFI ngo galige funds bartha illa ... vila vila antha oddatha irodu nodokke maja maams

Abu Naren
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

O Banghi sakka da Naren you do not know any thing your chaddi sakka has taught you only hatredness. Poor guy after sakka's training directly appointed in Singapore air port toilet cleaning. Your whole chaddi team,banghi pariwar & jews can not do any thing to Islam.When you get frustrated do not drink toilet cleaner with mullas urine. Cool down do not act like Foolish you are thinking you know every thing you are a Joker. Banghi pariwar member even u do not have a gut to show your own identity.

Hindustan Hamara
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

Hehehe'Kave you met any Israelis in US? In Israel they do not have any option but to like you otherwise who will clean their toilets? Jews & Muslims are brothers because they believe in same prophets but where you are fitting in except cleaning toilets. Hindustan belongs to every Hindu, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs but not belongs to RSS criminals. Hindustan belongs to Indians not to Nagpur Colonialist.

Naren kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

hahaha ... jews dont like hindus ? cool go and meet any jewish organisation ... then u will ... have u visited israel ? or have u interacted with isrelis? dont talk like madrasa product . sorry we see israelis as our own brothers than others .we feel both of them are in same page ... we dont give damn about palestanians ...if they do problem , israel has the right to brutally kill ... Hindustan hamara ? hahaha hindustan belongs to nationalist true lovers of India , not for jihadists ... nationalist indians can be anyone , may be christians , hindus or sikhs or even muslims ... hogappa ... camel toliyakke illandre nimma shake bandu toilet tolilikekke heltane ... haha

Viren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 15 Feb 2017

I think US security agencies mistook him for a Muslim just like Indian news agencies mistook him for a Muslim. When US authorities realised that he was a Hindu, they immediately released him! Good development.

Hindustan Hamara
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

There are thousands of people who are converted to Islam in US and have not changed their names. If Anwar is the reason for his detention then I can'? help Naren. It is just that US police force is most effective unlike Indian police where Babri Masjid demolition gay Advani and his mafia gang still roaming free without any trial and responsible for gujarat genocide gay becomes PM. In US Jews do not like Indians. Stop licking their feet in Israel just because they are killing Palestinians...Such hatred towards Muslims will destroy your heart beyond any repair. We want you to study and accept beautiful religion of Islam and enter paradise.

N S Mohammed
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

CD i requested many times you to improve quality. Today lots of space errors in your compose. Pls.......

Fairman
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

This makes a positive change as follows.

This will prompt the common citizens of their curiosity to know deeply about Islam, which ultimately make them inseparable from it as happened after 9/11 of 2001.

naren kotian
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

good .. CD at last accepted your mistake , he is native of north karnataka . bikkanavar ... may be police thought anwar ... so they detained him thats all .. got it ?, this type of security arrangement is quiet common in israel , even though 2 indian passports HOLDER enters , they will check if indian national is hindu , christian or buddhist or jain .. if not there is a mandotory verification BY 5 ARMY officers 5 levels .before landing itself they will ask plenty questions . even muslims with canada passports and US passports are not spared . its good for the safety . thats why israel is safe .good decision USA

Rikaz
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

As a matter of fact more then 50% of US people voted for Trump to initiate this law.....because of that reason Trump won election...and it was his election slogan, people should have defeated his slogan...but they did not....Muslims should avoid going US as long as is sitting up there....

Rikaz
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

Naren, his passport says his religion is Islam, may be he has deceived US authority or converted to Islam.....

Rizwan
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

on the day of judgement while getting entry to paradise, it will be opposite . All the non believers will regret , had i been gone through or followed the quran, seing at Muslims entering paradise with the warm welcome.

shaji
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

US is adopting policty which is take it to ruin. its well said \Vinasha kaala vipareeta budhi\". Trump will put USA in troubled water and US citizens will kick him out sooner or later. Let us hope for this at the earliest to save US and US citizens from distruction."

Rikaz
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

Mr. Unknown, you should read Quran with meaning so that you will come to know and understand that if Quran teaches Muslims violence....no where in the Quran it is mentioned anything about it......simply commenting for the sake of commenting that wont take you anywhere.....

Naren kotian
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Feb 2017

FYI ,...cd have some common sense and give proper heading ... he is not muslim ... his full name sidharth bikkanavar ... and also he originally hails from karnataka .nonsense journalism

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News Network
February 4,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 4: A 33-year old woman techie allegedly stabbed her mother to death and made a murderous assault on her younger brother before fleeing their home here, police said on Tuesday.

According to police, the woman fatally stabbed her mother using a knife and attacked the brother early on Monday.

The injured brother has been hospitalised here.

A search was on for the techie and the motive for her action under investigation, police said.

The woman, employed as a software engineer with a company here, earlier had told her mother and 30-year old brother that she has been transferred to Hyderabad and she may have to relocate.

The brother told police that in the early morning on Monday he saw his sister searching something desperately and offered to assist, which she refused.

However, minutes later she made a murderous assault on him, he told police, adding when he screamed for help and called his mother, his sister said she has killed their mother.

She stabbed him and attacked with an iron rod before fleeing, her brother told police.

The body of the mother was found in another room in the house.

"We are still investigating the matter. We are not clear about the motive behind the murder," a police officer told media adding the woman was yet to be arrested.

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Media Release
March 8,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 8: The Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd., celebrated International Women’s Day with a special seminar on Financial Planning for the banks’ women customers. The programme was held on Friday, March 6, 2020 from 4.00 to 6.00 p.m. at Hotel Ocean Pearl Inn, Bejai, Mangalore. Dr. Sukanya Rao, academician and financial planner, was the chief guest and resource person for the seminar. Mr. Srinivas C., Karnataka State Head, Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd., was the guest of honour.  Mrs. Vimala Anchan, Senior Manager and Branch Head of M. G. Road Branch of Saraswat Bank presided over the function.

In her chief guest’s address, Dr. Sukanya Rao defined empowerment of women as the ability of take one’s own decisions and utilize resources. Quoting global rankings, she said India enjoys a high ranking of being 9th in the world in political empowerment of women, whereas in other sectors we stand abysmally low. In social empowerment of women, India ranks at 120th, in economic empowerment at 124th and health and survival at 135th.

She suggested that the best tool for enhancing these empowerment rankings is education, which will lead to earning potential and result in enhancing social status. “Every year spent in school boosts girl’s wages by 10-20%,” she said “When a girl receives 7+ years of education, marriage gets postponed by four years and she has 2.2 less children.” She advised women to learn to take one’s own decisions. “Learn to take decisions, especially financial decisions, on your own instead of depending on significant others to do the decision making,” she said.

She followed up her talk with an interactive session on personal financial planning. She enlightened the audience on factors influencing our financial decision making and gave different perspectives on prioritizing savings, spending and investment. 

Srinivas C., Karnataka State Head, Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd., along with Deepak enlightened the women regarding financial safeguards available under Married Women's Property Act (1874).

Established in 1918, Saraswat Bank was the first co-operative bank to provide merchant banking services after it was recognized as a scheduled bank by RBI in 1988. The bank enjoys high proportion of women employees (nearly 75%) and it is a recipient of Best Cooperative Bank Award in 2016.

Fun games were conducted and prizes were distributed to the winners. Bhavanthi Street Branch Head Karthik Shetty welcomed the gathering. Prithvi Pai and Aishwarya rendered the invocation. Naina Shenoy expressed the bank’s Women’s Day greetings. Chilimbi Branch Head Kishore Shetty gave a vote of thanks. Mahesh Nayak compered the programme. Past Branch Head Mamtha Rao was present.

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News Network
June 25,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 24: Dr K Sudhakar on Wednesday held a video conference with senior officials to review the preparedness for conducting of SSLC examinations safely which is beginning from Thursday.

"8,48,203 students will appear for the SSLC examination starting tomorrow in 2,879 centres across the state. All the guidelines issues by state government must be followed strictly" Sudhakar said in the meeting.

"It is the collective responsibility of officials of all departments to ensure that every student is safe, from the time he or she leaves home for the exam centre and returns home after the exams. The vehicles used to ferry students, where public transport is not available, must be sanitised properly. The surroundings near exam centres, exam halls, toilets must be sanitised properly. Social distancing must be maintained in the exam hall and mask must be provided to all students," he said.

The minister also said that since the students have been asked to arrive at exam centre at 7:30 in the morning, a small biscuit packet must be provided to each student so that they don't feel hungry during the exam and till they return home after the exam.

"Thermal scanning of every student should be done before allowing inside the exam hall. In case there is fever those students must be made to write exam in separate room. Separate exam halls must be arranged for students in quarantine areas and if it's not feasible they must be allowed to write exam in September. District administrations must disseminate information about precautionary measures taken to build confidence among parents," the minister said.

Sudhakar instructed the officials to work in coordination with the Education Department and other departments.

Stating that there are 458 containment zones in Bengaluru, the minister asked the officials to be extra cautious in these areas and make arrangements to ensure health department staff can take students to the nearest health center if anybody is found ill during the exam.

Education Minister Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Javed Akhtar, Education Secretary, Secretary of Medical Education Department, BBMP officials, Health Experts and others were present.

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