Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA)

Daily Californian
"Judge Denies Dismissal, Landlord Trial Continues"
September 13, 2000
by Meredith Mandell
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=3166

OAKLAND — What seemed to be a small ruling in U.S. Federal Court yesterday was another thorn in the defense of Lakireddy Bali Reddy, owner of two prominent Berkeley businesses, Reddy Realty and Pasand Madras Indian Cuisine.

Judge Saundra Armstrong denied a motion brought by Reddy's lawyers to dismiss two counts of felony charges against him.

San Jose Mercury News
"Prosecution net to widen in case of landlord importing workers"
September 13, 2000
by Lisa Fernandez

SAN JOSE, Calif. _ A federal prosecutor said in court Tuesday that the investigation into a sex-and-fraud case against a prominent Berkeley landlord is widening, indicating that more arrests are likely.

Appearing in an Oakland courtroom, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy said a grand jury is expected to "add additional defendants" by Oct. 5 in the case against Lakireddy Bali Reddy, 62, and his son, Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, 30.

Daily Californian
"Berkeley Landlord Hearing Delayed: Judge orders case proceedings made public"
October 31, 2000
By Victoria Marty
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=3741

OAKLAND — Lakireddy Bali Reddy, the Berkeley landowner charged with importing Indian girls for sex, did not plead guilty as expected today, due in part to his and his family's refusals to admit guilt in public, according to an American Civil Liberties Union spokesperson.

KPIX Channel 5 Eyewitness News
"Landlord"
October 30, 2000, Monday PM

START: 0.30

Berkeley landlord and son in court today, demanding reporters be closed out of courtroom.

Visual - suspects entering court. The judge refused to close courtroom, causing defendants to delay entering their plea.

Sound Bites - Atty Lucas Guttentag; comments on case.

Sound Bites - Jayashari Spikantiah, ACLU Immigrant Attorney; comments on case.

Oakland Tribune
"Poverty Linked to Exploitation of Women"
April 16, 2000
by Leslie Fulbright
http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/mills-trafficking.html

OAKLAND -- Sexual exploitation is a tool used globally to maintain class and gender inequalities, agreed a panel of women meeting Saturday at Mills College to discuss issues surrounding the trafficking of women and girls.

People in positions of power, such as policy-makers and the media, need to stop penalizing female victims by perpetuating stereotypes and concentrate on stopping the exploitation, panel members agreed.

Berkeley Daily Planet
"Women: Focus on alleged victims"
April 12, 2000
by Judith Scherr
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?archiveDate=04-12-00&storyID=891

OAKLAND – Inside a federal courtroom Tuesday, the case of the United States vs. Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy and his son Vijay Lakireddy was in its pre-trial stages.

But outside the courts a dozen mostly South Asian women held placards denouncing the exploitation of foreign workers and of women. They asked those going into the courts to focus their attention less on the men on trial, then on their alleged victims.

Daily Californian
"Prosecutors to Add Charges Against Reddy and Son: Superseding indictment to be produced"
April 12, 2000
by Anne Benjaminson
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=2202

OAKLAND — Federal prosecutors said at a hearing yesterday that they expect to expand the charges against Berkeley landlord Lakireddy Bali Reddy and his son, Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, to include more alleged victims.

Daily Californian
"Attorney’s Actions in Reddy Case Excused"
April 12, 2000
by Anne Banjaminson
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=2203

OAKLAND — Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque should not be subject to disciplinary action for her comments about the Reddy case, a federal judge ruled yesterday.

The city attorney had testified at an earlier hearing before U.S. Magistrate Wayne Brazil that Lakireddy Bali Reddy, the wealthy Berkeley landlord, had not called 911 after the Nov. 24 death of Chanti Prattipati. Based on police reports, Albuquerque had also testified that Reddy and his son, Vijay Kumar Lakireddy, had been seen stowing Prattipati's body in a Reddy Realty van.

On April 11, in the midst of Lakireddy Balireddy's U.S. District Court hearing, members of the newly formed Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) were present both inside and outside the court to express solidarity with the victims in this case and to urge immunity from deportation for these victims. Members also raised issues of sexual and labor exploitation, and sought to place these issues within an international economic context.