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 26,2020

Tumkuru, Feb 26: A man was arrested from Azad Nagar area of Anantpur on Wednesday for making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed and posting it on social media earlier this month, police said.

He was identified as Atul Kumar alias Madhugiri Modi, a resident of Madhugiri’s Hobali Honnapur village.

According to Superintendent of Police Vamshikrishna teams had been formed to arrest the accused following protests against his video and remarks against Prophet Mohammed in Tumkuru and Madhugiri,

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News Network
April 6,2020

Kottayam, Apr 6: "I will leave this room within a week after defeating you," the braveheart nurse had vowed after contracting the deadly coronavirus while attending to India's oldest COVID-19 survior, expressing unflinching faith in Kerala's health care system.

Last Friday, 32-year old Reshma Mohandas lived up to her promise and walked out holding her head high to her home, where she is now placed under 14-day quarantine, after she and the elderly man and his wife were discharged from the Medical College Hospital here on being cured of th e disease.

Soon after 93-year-old Thomas Abraham, whose recovery has been dubbed as a 'miracle cure' by the medical community, and 88-year old Mariyamma left the hospital, Reshma too headed home but with the resolve to come back and serve the patients after the mandatory two weeks quarantine.

"I will leave this room within a week after defeating you (coronavirus)", Reshma had posted in a WhatsApp group of her friends and colleagues while undergoing treatment in isolation at the hospital.

"I posted that message in the WhatsApp group because I have full faith in Kerala's health system. It is world class," Reshma told reporters from her home.

The nurse, who took care Thomas and Mariyamma since March 12, believes she contracted the disease as she was in close contact with and often talked to the couple, who did not wear masks as it made them uncomfortable.

She said she loved taking care of all their needs.

"I was not tensed at all. I love taking care of elderly people. We used to talk a lot (in the ICU)", she said.

Reshma, who was earlier working in the operating theatre of another section, said she used work for four hours in the ICU before she contracted the virus and was admitted to the same wing as a patient.

"I had close contact with them in the ICU because I paid attention to address their every needs," she said. The first warning sign came on March 23 morning when she had a throat infection.

Reshma immediately alerted the head nurse, who in turn informed the doctors.

She was asked to visit the fever clinic at the Medical College and was later referred to the isolation facility where she took care of elderly novel coronavirus patients.

Some 20 nurses who had come into contact with her were sent to home quarantine.

On March 24, she tested positive.

"I did not have any other complications, barring headache and body pain", she said.

Reshma said she was ready to serve in the isolation facility for COVID-19 patients after 14 days of mandatory home quarantine.

"I am ready to work again in the isolation facility when I return," the feisty nurse, whose husband is an engineer, said.

She was all the more happy that proper medical care at the hospital led to recovery of Abraham and Mariyamma.

Kerala Health minister K K Shailaja telephoned Reshma to express her happiness over her recovery.

The Minister said the news about a health professional contracting the coronavirus was a matter of concern for the state.

In a statement, she hailed Reshma's dedication as a professional and said she had treated elderly patients like her parents, attending to their every need.

The elderly couple, hailing from Ranni village in Pathanamthitta district had contracted the virus from their son, daughter-in-law and grandson who returned from Italy last month, all of whom have also recovered.

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News Network
June 3,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 3: Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Tuesday invited investors in the Electronics System and Design Manufacturing (ESDM) sector to Karnataka, as the state contributes 64 per cent to the sector's total exports from the nation.

During a video conference organised by Invest India for a few select states with leading ESDM players across the globe, Narayan said, "We are the largest chip design hub and home to 70 per cent of India's chip designers."

Karnataka has introduced industry-friendly policies from the beginning and it continues to be the leader in attracting technology-specific investments, he added.

"Karnataka has an estimated GSDP of almost USD 220 billion. We were the first to come out with IT, BT, ESDM, and AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) policies to give a push to the growth of the technology sectors and innovation. We also have vibrant automobiles, agro, aerospace, textile and garment, and heavy engineering industries," Narayan explained.

"We have created sector-specific SEZs for key industries such as IT, biotechnology and engineering, food processing and aerospace,'' he said.

However, the state government is planning ahead as it has initiated talks with other countries.

"We have held multiple consultations with the private sector to seek inputs for returning to business as we ease the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. We are also initiating dialogue with countries across the globe to understand future plans for their companies in the post COVID era and discuss how the Karnataka government can support that," the Deputy Chief Minister stated.

"Karnataka has attracted cumulative FDI inflows in the state from 2000 to 2019 which were recorded at USD 42.3 billion," he said.

Referring to the Karnataka ESDM policy 2017-2022, Narayan further said, "We aim to stimulate the growth of 2,000 ESDM start-ups during the policy period and create 20 lakh new jobs by 2025.

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