We want him back home safely: Kin of Indian researcher detained in US
He is not involved in any wrongdoing, claims Badar Khan Suri’s father living in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, seeks govt intervention
The family of Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University who was detained on Monday night by US department of homeland security (DHS) reportedly for supporting the Palestinian cause, living in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur have dismissed the allegations levelled against him as “baseless” and have appealed to the Indian government for intervention.
Suri, accused by the US government of working for Hamas and spreading anti-Jewish rhetoric, was arrested outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia. Suri is the eldest son of Shamshad Khan, a former ward member from Mohalla Banjaran in Saharanpur’s Nakur town
“I am deeply troubled by his arrest, but I know he is not involved in any wrongdoing,” Khan said. “He respects all religions and has never engaged in any form of religious propaganda.” he claimed while recalling how his son’s academic journey took him to the United States two and a half years ago.
However, he speculated that the allegations might stem from Suri’s marriage to Mapheze Saleh, an American citizen born in Gaza and the niece of a prominent Hamas leader.
“If there’s any reason for this, it could only be his wife’s family connection,” Khan said, though he claimed that the charges were ‘fabricated’.
“We just want him back home safe,” he said in a choking voice as he appealed to the Indian government for assistance. “These charges don’t make sense. He’s a scholar not a criminal,” Suri’s father said.
Suri’s detention comes amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on individuals perceived as threats to American foreign policy. DHS claimed Suri has ties to Hamas, though no specific evidence has been publicly disclosed.
The DHS, through statements by assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin, accused Suri of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” and having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist,” identified as a senior adviser to Hamas.
His lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, has called the accusations politically motivated, pointing to a pattern of similar detentions targeting students and scholars involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Suri, currently held in Alexandria, Louisiana, faces deportation proceedings under a rarely used immigration provision, with a court date pending.
For his family in Saharanpur, the uncertainty is agonising. “He’s dedicated his life to understanding conflict and building peace,” Shamshad Khan said.
As they await further developments, they cling to hope that the Indian government will step in to support one of its own caught in an international storm.
Additional superintendent of police, Saharanpur, Sagar Jain said, “We have taken cognisance of Badar’s case. Details about him are being gathered. His family has been contacted. A primary report has been sent to the high authorities”.