Indian man in US faces prison term, deportation for stalking, kidnapping estranged wife

An Indian national was sentenced to prison in connection with the kidnapping and stalking of his then-wife in Texas's Agawam, and his subsequent efforts to prevent her from giving a statement in court.

An Indian national from Texas has been sentenced to 56 months in prison and three years of supervised release on the charges of kidnapping and stalking his then wife. Sunil K Akula, 32, faces deportation to India upon completion of his sentence. Last November, he pleaded guilty to the charges of kidnapping, stalking, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. According to federal prosecutors, on August 6, 2019, Akula travelled from his home in Texas to Agawam, Massachusetts to confront his then wife, from whom he was living apart. He subsequently assaulted his wife and forced her to leave her apartment and get into a car with him, stating that he was taking her back to Texas.