SAN FRANCISCO: Indian-American entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal was handcuffed and led away to immediately serve a one year sentence for violating his probation for a domestic violence conviction. A bailiff clicked cuffs onto his arms just moments after he begged San Francisco Superior Judge Tracie Brown to remand him to house arrest. For the first time during during lengthy court proceedings over four years, Chahal spoke directly to the court and asked Brown to consider alternatives to remanding him into custory.
“I've done everything in my power to give back to society,” he wept as he read out his statement. He spoke about his foundation that had helped hundreds of people, including women and victims of domestic violence. “I desperately need my freedom,” he said. His attorney, the famed Robert Shapiro, who had represented footballer OJ Simpson, asked the judge to remand his client to house arrest. In response, Brown said, “It is ironic that you're asking me to sentence him to the place where the crimes were committed.” When suggested Chahal could be sentenced to his parents' house, where he would be fully supervised, Brown declined his request.
A spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney's office said the tech wunderkind will only serve 50 per cent of his sentence, six months, before he is released. Chahal was arrested and charged with beating and kicking his girlfriend Juliet Kasich in 2013, at least 133 times during an evening at his penthouse in SF. He was initially charged with 147 counts of felony battery but managed to get the charges dropped to three misdemeanor charges, for which he was accorded probation. However, while on probation, he allegedly hit and slapped another woman, threatening to have her deported.
Chahal took his case to an appellate court, which upheld Brown's sentence. He next filed with the California Supreme Court, which declined to take up the case. He has even filed a case with the US Supreme Court, which is also unlikely to take up the matter. “I just don't see a sufficient basis to reconsider the sentence I issued two years ago. His charitable activities are commendable, but do not convince me that a more lenient sentence is appropriate,” Judge Brown said.
