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
July 16,2020

Belgaum: Canon, Epson and Nikon reside in a house named "Click" in Karnataka's Belgaum district.

The newly built house of photographer couple Ravi and Krupa Hongal, which resembles a giant DSLR camera, has not only enamoured locals but has become quite a sensation on social media.

The three-storied camera-shaped house located in Shastri Nagar is an expression of passion and love for the art of photography of the couple whose children- three boys- have all been named after the iconic camera brands.

Their names ''Canon'', ''Epson'' and ''Nikon'' feature prominently on the house whose exterior resembles a camera. Just like a camera, the building has a glass window shaped as a viewfinder and another as a lens. It sports a wide film strip, a flash and even a memory card.

The walls of the house walls and its interior have graphics related to photography.

"I have been photographing since 1986. Building this house is like a dream come true. We also named our 3 children-Canon, Nikon and Epson. These all are three camera names. I love the camera and hence named them on camera companies name. My family were opposed to it, but we remain adamant," photographer Ravi told media persons.

Karnataka: A photographer couple, Krupa Hongal&Ravi Hongal, has built a camera-shaped house in Belgaum. Krupa (pic3) says,"It's a dream come true. We also named our 3 children-Canon,Nikon&Epson." Ravi (pic4) says,"We borrowed money for it&also sold our previous house."(14.07.20) pic.twitter.com/8Mkh1JOUk1

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2020
The photographer says the couple had to borrow money from relatives and friend for constructing the house. "We also sold our previous house to build this house," he added.

Krupa said that it was their cherished dream to build a house like a camera.

"My husband is a photographer. It was our dream to build a house like a camera. We planned and built this house. We feel like we are living inside a different world, inside a camera. I am very proud of my husband," she said.

Canon, their elder child said, "My friends used to ask me whether it was my real name. Now, I tell them yes, photography is my father's passion and hence he named me Canon."

On social media, the picture of the unique shaped house has been shared widely.

"This is called love for the passion," said one user on Twitter.

Another user commented: "A camera-obsessed photographer from India builds a camera-shaped house! 49-year-old Ravi Hongal has spent over $95,000 building the 3-story house, which looks like a camera in the town of Belgaum in India."

The family seems to be indeed living a picture-perfect dream.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 6,2020

Belagavi, Jun 6: Suspecting that cow meat was being transported to Goa, unidentified persons set goods vehicle on fire near Karle village in Belagavi taluk last night.

The Incident came to the fore on Saturday morning.

Usually, vehicles carrying vegetables, milk and other essentials being transported to Goa and other towns plying via Karle village near Belagavi.

Sources said that for the past few days vehicles carrying meat were stopped and were handed over to police by section of activists suspecting it to be cow meat.

Persons who set the vehicle on fire were yet to be identified. Jurisdictional Belagavi Rural police have rushed to the spot. More details were awaited.

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News Network
January 3,2020

Tumakuru, Jan 3: Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who has drawn flak for the Centre releasing “inadequate” flood relief to the State, on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for additional relief during his speech at a farmers’ convention in Tumakuru.

The Chief Minister even said, “I have brought this to the notice of the Prime Minister three or four times, but till now no additional relief has been sanctioned. I request him with folded hands to release it soon,” in Kannada. The Prime Minister, who spoke later at the event, however, did not respond to the Chief Minister’s request in his speech.

Mr. Yediyurappa said the State had witnessed losses to the tune of over ₹30,000 crore because of floods.

‘Stress on irrigation’

Addressing farmers at one of his main support bases of Tumakuru, the Lingayat strongman advised the Prime Minister that his dream of doubling farmers’ income by 2023 could become a reality only if he focused on “providing scientific price to farm produce, bringing water to farms through irrigation, and by interlinking rivers”.

Mr. Yediyurappa’s remarks made at a programme to release the fourth instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, a farm subsidy cash transfer scheme of the Union government, have raised eyebrows.

Stressing on the key role of irrigation schemes in farmers’ welfare, he sought a special package of ₹50,000 crore for completion of long-pending projects in Karnataka.

The five-minute-long speech is being seen as an attempt by the Chief Minister to assert himself within the party by publicly putting even the Prime Minister on the mat. This comes in the wake of the BJP suffering defeats in multiple States and the party’s victory in the recent bypolls in the State under Mr. Yediyurappa’s leadership, both of which have only strengthened the Chief Minister, sources in the party said. “We are curious as to how the party high command will now deal with this public assertion in front of the Prime Minister,” a senior party leader said.

The Chief Minister has been reportedly “deeply unhappy” over the delay in the flood relief by the Union government and also the “inadequate” amount released. The Opposition has attacked him over lack of adequate Central relief, which was interpreted as the BJP central leadership’s reported unhappiness with him. The Chief Minister had then said he was doing a “tightrope walk”.

After a delay of over two months, the Centre released ₹1,200 crore as flood relief in October 2019.

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