An Indian student in the United States, accused of posting violent messages on the internet urging readers to kill President George W Bush and his family, has pleaded not guilty before a federal court but continues to be held in detention.
Vikram Buddhi, a 34-year-old graduate student of Industrial Engineering and a teaching assistant at Purdue University has been arraigned on 11 criminal counts of threatening the President, the Vice President, members of their families and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Buddhi had entered a not guilty plea on all of the charges in a federal courthouse in Hammond.
According to local reports quoting his attorney John Martin, Buddhi tried to speak to the Judge on Wednesday about his being held without bond but the judge would not allow him to speak. A trial date has been set for June 26.
"We are trying to see what the next best step is in terms of the bond -- if there is a ground for a rehearing or appeal. We have not filed anything as of yet," Martin said, adding that Buddhi will return to an undisclosed jail in northern Indiana.
Last week, the presiding judge determined that since Buddhi has no other ties in the United States, he could be a 'flight risk' and hence should be held without bond. After he was indicted, Purdue University had temporarily suspended Buddhi, who originally hails from Mumbai. He came to the United States on a student visa in 1996.
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