According to the Justice Department, a man of Indian descent has been detained for the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building in the US state of Wisconsin.
Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, who was detained at Boston’s International Airport last week, is accused of intending to inflict harm using an explosion or a fire, according to a statement from the authorities.
If found guilty, Roychowdhury will be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said, “According to the complaint, Roychowdhury used an incendiary device in violation of federal law in connection with his efforts to terrorise and intimidate a private organisation.”
“I commend the commitment and professionalism of law enforcement personnel who worked exhaustively to ensure that justice is served, The attorney added, the attorney added.
U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin said, “This group of local and federal law enforcement officers has worked, with the federal prosecutors, diligently and creatively to move the investigation forward. This case is an example of the results law enforcement can achieve when local and federal law investigators work as a team.”
According to Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, “Violence is never an acceptable way for anyone to express their views or their disagreement. Today’s (28 March 2023) arrest demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue those responsible for this dangerous attack and others across the country, and to hold them accountable for their criminal actions.”
The complaint claims that on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2022, at 6:06 a.m., police were called to an active fire at an office building in Madison, Wisconsin. Upon inside the building, the cops noticed a broken mason jar with a burned-black cover and screw top under a broken window.
A purple disposable lighter was also seen by the cops close to the Mason jar. The cops noticed another Mason jar with the lid on and a blue fabric tucked into the top on the wall across from the window. The cloth was burned. A transparent liquid with an accelerant-like odour filled the jar to roughly half of its capacity.
“If abortions aren’t safe, you aren’t either,” was spray painted on one of the building’s exterior walls, and the letters “A” with a circle around them and the number “1312” were painted on another. Law police obtained DNA from the incident site as part of the investigation.
Police identified Roychowdhury as a potential suspect in March 2023. Police in the area saw Roychowdhury throw food out in a can that was available for public use. The cops retrieved the food and related things, and they also obtained DNA from the meal.
On March 17, 2023, police enforcement advised that a forensic scientist compare the DNA samples taken from the food’s contents to evidence found at the location of the attack. The forensic biologist concluded that the two samples were identical and most likely came from the same person.
Roychowdhury travelled from Madison, Wisconsin, to Portland, Maine, in March 2023. This morning, he bought a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City. Roychowdhury was taken into custody by law authorities at Boston Logan International Airport. In Boston, Roychowdhury will be subject to a detention hearing.
Roychowdhury’s appearance in Boston’s U.S. District Court was scheduled for 28th March, Tuesday. If found guilty, Roychowdhury will be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
