Subbarao, who himself faces deportation as his visa has not been extended by the US authorities and his passport has been seized, in the letter draws a parallel between his son’s case and that of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi recently sentenced by Iran on the charges of spying for the US.

Subbarao’s letter states: “With all the proclaimed adherence to the rule of law, the administration of justice in the US fails as badly as in any other country and sometimes even more badly”. Highlighting the differences in the judicial process in the two cases, Subbarao writes, “Saberi was charged in April 2009 of spying, and sentenced to eight years in prison recently. Buddhi was charged in April 2006 but the jury, deliberately ignoring the law governing the case, found Buddhi guilty in June 2007 and his sentencing is yet to take place. But he has been kept in prison in Chicago.”

He reiterates that the US Secret Service first interrogated Buddhi in January 2006 for allegedly posting messages on the Internet. After a thorough interrogation, the US Secret Service set Buddhi free in mid-January 2006 and in February 2006 the Secret Service even made a formal report that Buddhi is not a threat to US President or any other person. However, “for some mysterious reason”, the US Secret Service arrested Buddhi on April 14, 2006 and launched federal prosecution charges that he had threatened to kill the US President and others.

“Saberi’s charge of spying for the US is criticized because the evidence is not disclosed and the trial is held in secret. Buddhi’s charge of threatening to kill President Bush and others has no evidence at all and all the charges are fundamentally flawed,” the letter reads. The prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that those Internet messages were really posted from Buddhi’s computer, it said.

The letter urges President Obama to give due attention to the Buddhi’s case, as much as Saberi’s if not more. “The miscarriage of justice in Buddhi’s case needs redress restoring his freedom and dignity with the opportunity to continue his bright academic career,” it says.

Buddhi, a Navi Mumbai resident who went to study applied mathematics at Purdue University was arrested on April 14, 2006, and charged on 11 counts including charges under US Code 871 that deals with threats to the US president and his successor.