Texas-based man sentenced to 26 months for threatening Sikh employees of New Jersey nonprofit
Bhushan Athale, a 49-year-old Indian-origin Hindu man living in Texas, was sentenced to 26 months in prison for making violent threats against Sikh employees of a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey. Athale repeatedly called the nonprofit’s main phone number, leaving numerous threatening messages where he vowed to injure or kill individuals and to cut their hair with a razor, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
The threats escalated in 2023, when Athale left two more voicemails filled with violent and sexual imagery targeting Sikhs and Muslims. Additionally, he sent hate-fueled emails and messages to a Muslim colleague in November 2021.
Athale’s threatening calls began in 2022, culminating in a guilty plea in January 2025 for “interfering with federally protected activities” by threatening to use a dangerous weapon and making interstate threats. In his messages, he specifically threatened to shave off Sikhs’ “top and bottom” hair with a razor and used profane language against members of the Sikh community.
During a February 2022 law enforcement interview, Athale admitted his hatred for Muslims, blaming them for “ruining India.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division condemned the hate-fueled threats, praising the efforts of US Attorney Alina Habba and her team in bringing Athale to justice.
