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Reddy Sentenced

ASATA members protest outside the courthouse where Reddy was sentenced. Photo by Ji Hyun Lim.

By Ji Hyun Lim

After a year of litigation, the case concerning the death of 17-year-old Chanti Pratipatti has come to a close. The man indirectly responsible for her death, Lakireddy Bali Reddy, was finally sentenced to 97 months — just over 8 years — in prison, and will pay $2 million in restitution to three victims and the family of Pratipatti.

The prosecutor in the case, John Kennedy, offered a lenient plea agreement, under which the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office would not prosecute a wrongful death suit in Pratipatti’s name. Reddy was sentenced for two counts of transporting minors for illegal sexual activity, one count of conspiring to commit immigration fraud, and one count of filing a false tax return.

Dozens of protestors and news reporters crowded outside the Federal District Court in Oakland on June 19 to await the decision of Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong. Testimony and deliberations lasted until 3 p.m.

Protesters were outraged that Reddy was not going to serve maximum time for the many crimes, including the death of a young girl. In 1999, Pratipatti and her sister were found poisoned by carbon monoxide from a faulty heater. Reddy and his relatives were indicted on charges of conspiring to illegally bring nearly 50 immigrants from India to work in the family’s restaurant and apartment complexes for little or no pay. Reddy, who owns 1,000 apartment units in Berkeley, is worth over $50 million according to legal documents.

Members of the Women Against Sexual Slavery were present, carrying posters that demanded 38 years, the maximum sentence. Kriss Worthington, Berkeley District 7 Council member agreed that Reddy deserved a long jail sentence and should pay greater monetary restitution to the victims and their families.

“We want to discourage anyone from committing such crimes,” Worthington said. “We can oppose such behavior by imposing a severe penalty on Reddy and by supporting relatives and friends of victims.”

Arthi Varma, member of Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) was relieved that Reddy has finally been sentenced.

“Our position is that we’re happy that the victims have closure for their experience and have seen justice done. It’s important to acknowledge that the victims really want to move on with their lives,” Varma said. “On the flip side, we are disappointed that the plea bargain is preventing any further prosecution on sexual assault and labor violation charges. We would have supported a more lengthy sentence as a symbolic action [but] we’re happy the sentence was more than the original 6 1/2 years.”