Indian-American Sikh police officer Sandeep Dhaliwal's murderer sentenced to death
Houston (PTI): Robert Solis, the man convicted of murdering Sandeep Dhaliwal, the first turbaned Indian-American Sikh police officer in the US state of Texas while making a traffic stop in 2019, has been sentenced to death, according to a police official.
The verdict was handed down by the jury, a panel made up of citizens. Solis showed no emotion as the sentence was read on Wednesday. Jurors deliberated for just 35 minutes before recommending the death penalty in the punishment phase of the trial. They deliberated for 25 minutes in the guilt phase.
“Verdict is in: Jurors sentence Robert Solis to death. We are extremely grateful that justice has been served,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted.
Solis, 50, was convicted by the jury of the Harris County Criminal Court in Houston for the murder of 42-year-old Dhaliwal, a 10-year-veteran of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Dhaliwal made national headlines when he was allowed to grow a beard and wear a turban on the job. He was gunned down in an ambush-style shooting while conducting a routine mid-day traffic stop in northwest Houston on September 27, 2019.
Authorities said Dhaliwal was shot multiple times from behind after he had stopped Solis in a residential neighbourhood and was walking back to his patrol car.
"...Basically just shot him in a very ruthless, cold-blooded way," Sheriff Gonzalez had said in 2019.
Jurors saw multiple angles of the shooting and heard from 65 prosecution witnesses, who testified about a criminal history that goes back more than 30 years.
During the trial, Solis testified in his own defense and told jurors he had accidentally shot Dhaliwal.
But prosecutors argued Solis deliberately shot Dhaliwal because he didn't want to go back to jail. At the time of the traffic stop, Solis had a warrant for violating parole, CBS News reported.
During his closing argument, his last chance to address jurors, Solis merely said, "The only thing I have to say is that it's your decision to make. My life is in your hands," KTRK-TV Houston reported.
Solis asked for several delays during the trial. He told the judge he was sick, and also said he had not been given proper time to prepare.
His behaviour throughout the trial stands in direct contrast to the life and legacy of Dhaliwal, who leaves behind a wife and three children.
"Anybody I talked to, they say, 'I wish we had a Dhaliwal at this time. How many people get justice today? How many families?" Dhaliwal's older sister, Harpreet Rai was quoted as saying in the report.
"We should all aspire to be a Dhaliwal. He left such a legacy. He was a humanitarian and he helped so many beyond his work," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
Just moments after Solis received the death sentence, a teenager gave a victim's impact statement, speaking directly to Solis. "You're a nobody, Robert. You're the least powerful person in this room," she told the court.
Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organize the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after Hurricane Harvey.
A post office in west Houston has been renamed in his honour and Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who brought the renaming legislation to the US House of Representatives, had said at the dedication ceremony, “I am honoured to play a role in commemorating Deputy Dhaliwal's remarkable life of selfless service.”
Fletcher added, “He represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. I was glad to work with a bipartisan delegation, our community partners, and those in the Sikh community, to pass legislation to rename this building the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office.”
However, this wasn't the first dedication for Deputy Dhaliwal. A year after his death, a portion of Beltway 8 near Highway 249 was renamed in his honour.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
