Latest news with #MahendraPatel
CNN
5 days ago
- CNN
Charges dropped against man accused of trying to abduct a child at a Georgia Walmart after surveillance video sows doubt
Charges have been dismissed against a man who was facing attempted kidnapping and other charges after a mother accused him of trying to grab her 2-year-old son from her at a Georgia Walmart, court records show. Mahendra Patel encountered 26-year-old Caroline Miller with her two children riding a motorized cart she was driving in the March 18 incident at a Walmart in the city of Acworth, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. He asked her for help to find Tylenol, his lawyer says. Miller alleged Patel then grabbed her 2-year-old son from her, but that she pulled the child back. Patel's lawyer, however, says surveillance videos prove he was just trying to make sure the boy didn't fall from the scooter, which they said had just clipped a store display. Patel was held in a Cobb County jail for 45 days after he was indicted on April 3 by a grand jury on charges of criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, simple assault and simple battery. He was released on a $10,000 bond in early May after his lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, presented her case as to why he should be released by showing the judge a compilation of security footage she subpoenaed from Walmart and shared with media outlets, including CNN. It was the security footage that drew public attention to the case and prompted over 90,000 people to sign a petition declaring his innocence and calling for his release. The footage is somewhat grainy and Patel's back obscures part of what is happening in his encounter with Miller. About six minutes later, video shows Patel paying for his purchase and walking out the door after pausing to speak with an employee for more than 20 seconds. While Merchant said Patel was just trying to make sure the boy didn't fall from a scooter his mother was riding on with him in her lap, prosecutors argued the video shows he grabbed the child and fled after the incident. The state agreed to enter a motion to dismiss the case and drop the charges on Wednesday, according to court records. Patel spoke with CNN affiliate WXIA after the court hearing, saying: 'I feel relieved to be honest with you. This thing was hanging over my head for a long time and our family went through a lot of hell. You know, we went through this, but today is a day of celebration and I'm thankful that I'm out.' CNN has contacted the Cobb County District Attorney's Office for comment. 'The only reason this case was resolved in our favor was because we were able to obtain the video proving our client was innocent from Walmart,' Merchant said in a statement to CNN. 'Our system needs to be aware that innocent people are falsely accused on a daily basis and without police willing to investigate before rushing to judgement, judge's willing to release people on bond while awaiting an investigation, and prosecutors willing to provide transparency with evidence, this will continue to happen,' the attorney continued. CNN has attempted to reach the accuser, Caroline Miller, who previously has spoken publicly about the incident, for comment. A family member previously told CNN that Miller declined to comment on the case. CNN's Chris Boyette and Jason Morris contributed to this report.
CNN
5 days ago
- CNN
Charges dropped against man accused of trying to abduct a child at a Georgia Walmart after surveillance video sows doubt
Charges have been dismissed against a man who was facing attempted kidnapping and other charges after a mother accused him of trying to grab her 2-year-old son from her at a Georgia Walmart, court records show. Mahendra Patel encountered 26-year-old Caroline Miller with her two children riding a motorized cart she was driving in the March 18 incident at a Walmart in the city of Acworth, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta. He asked her for help to find Tylenol, his lawyer says. Miller alleged Patel then grabbed her 2-year-old son from her, but that she pulled the child back. Patel's lawyer, however, says surveillance videos prove he was just trying to make sure the boy didn't fall from the scooter, which they said had just clipped a store display. Patel was held in a Cobb County jail for 45 days after he was indicted on April 3 by a grand jury on charges of criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, simple assault and simple battery. He was released on a $10,000 bond in early May after his lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, presented her case as to why he should be released by showing the judge a compilation of security footage she subpoenaed from Walmart and shared with media outlets, including CNN. It was the security footage that drew public attention to the case and prompted over 90,000 people to sign a petition declaring his innocence and calling for his release. The footage is somewhat grainy and Patel's back obscures part of what is happening in his encounter with Miller. About six minutes later, video shows Patel paying for his purchase and walking out the door after pausing to speak with an employee for more than 20 seconds. While Merchant said Patel was just trying to make sure the boy didn't fall from a scooter his mother was riding on with him in her lap, prosecutors argued the video shows he grabbed the child and fled after the incident. The state agreed to enter a motion to dismiss the case and drop the charges on Wednesday, according to court records. Patel spoke with CNN affiliate WXIA after the court hearing, saying: 'I feel relieved to be honest with you. This thing was hanging over my head for a long time and our family went through a lot of hell. You know, we went through this, but today is a day of celebration and I'm thankful that I'm out.' CNN has contacted the Cobb County District Attorney's Office for comment. 'The only reason this case was resolved in our favor was because we were able to obtain the video proving our client was innocent from Walmart,' Merchant said in a statement to CNN. 'Our system needs to be aware that innocent people are falsely accused on a daily basis and without police willing to investigate before rushing to judgement, judge's willing to release people on bond while awaiting an investigation, and prosecutors willing to provide transparency with evidence, this will continue to happen,' the attorney continued. CNN has attempted to reach the accuser, Caroline Miller, who previously has spoken publicly about the incident, for comment. A family member previously told CNN that Miller declined to comment on the case. CNN's Chris Boyette and Jason Morris contributed to this report.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Charges dropped against elderly man after mom on motorized scooter 'falsely' accused him of Walmart child abduction
Charges have been dropped against a beloved father and husband who claimed he was falsely accused of trying to kidnap a child at a Walmart in Georgia. Mahendra Patel, 57, was locked up for two months after Caroline Miller, 26, told police that he had tried to abduct her two-year-old child before fleeing the Walmart in Acworth in March. But Patel's lawyer unearthed surveillance footage that contradicted Miller's claims, showing Patel did not leave the store in a rush and was never aggressive towards the mother. Patel said he had been simply trying to help Miller, whose child appeared to be falling from the motorized scooter she was using even though she is not disabled. Prosecutors dropped the charges against Patel on Wednesday after meeting with Miller and Patel, who they said wanted to 'put the incident behind them.' The Cobb County District Attorney's Office said they are 'satisfied that the ends of justice have been met' and 'pleased to have facilitated a resolution and are encouraged by the willingness of both parties to engage in a constructive dialogue.' Patel told 11 Alive: 'I feel relieved... This thing was hanging on my head for a long time and our family went through a lot of hell. We went through this, but today is a day of celebration and I'm thankful that I'm out.' 'It made me realize there's justice out there. There are good people,' Patel added, sharing that he now plans on speaking up for the wrongfully jailed. Patel's story sparked massive anger in the community, with nearly 90,000 people signing a petition demanding his freedom and calling out racial bias against the father, who is originally from India. Despite the video evidence and demands, the father-of-two remained in jail for two months without bond, spending his 57th birthday behind bars, as Miller did various interviews about the alleged attempted kidnapping. Miller claimed Patel attempted to take her son after he stopped to ask her where the Tylenol was, leading to what she described as a 'tug of war' over the child in the aisles. Patel insisted that he grabbed the boy as he saw him falling off Miller's motorized shopping cart and attempted to save him. He said he was looking for a specific kind of Tylenol for his ailing 86-year-old mother. After pointing him toward the Tylenol, the footage showed that Miller spoke with another shopper, laughing and smiling with him moments after she supposedly fought to save her child from a kidnapping. The other patron also helped Miller's child as he nearly fell from her mobility scooter. The footage made it clear that Patel did not flee the scene. Instead, he calmly paid for his medicine before leaving. Five minutes later, Miller informed a Walmart employee that Patel tried to snatch her son. Patel was arrested three days later. When asked why Miller would make up such horrific claims against an innocent man, Patel's lawyer pointed out to Daily Mail that Miller has previously been involved in litigation against companies. In 2021 she filed a lawsuit against Lyft saying she had been raped by a driver. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
'Justice out there': Indian-origin man Mahendra Patel, wrongfully accused of Walmart kidnapping attempt, cleared of charges in Georgia
Indian-origin Georgia man Mahendra Patel who spent 45 days in jail earlier this year has been cleared of all charges. 57-year-old Mahendra Patel , an Indian-origin, Georgia-based man, who spent 45 days in jail earlier this year, after a woman brought an attempted kidnapping accusation against him, has finally been cleared of all charges. Patel was arrested in March after Caroline Miller, a woman, alleged that Patel tried to kidnap her 2-year-old child when they were shopping at the Walmart Cobb Parkway. Patel was charged with criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, which was later amended to attempted kidnapping, along with simple assault and simple battery, accusing Patel of causing 'violent injury' by pulling on the child. Patel told the investigators that he held the child to stop him from falling and he exchanged a few words with the mother as well -- about where to find one particular medicine in the store. As Patel was spending days in jail, his attorney secured the surveillance footage of the incident that gained national attention as Patel's arrest was called a racial injustice. Contrary to the claims that Patel fled the store, the surveillance footage revealed that Patel paid for what he bought and exited the store without any rush. Hours later, Patel was arrested and he could not understand why he was being arrested and initially thought that they were arresting the wrong person. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Public Speaking Course for Children Planet Spark Book Now Undo An online petition calling for Patel's release drew nearly 100,000 signatures and Patel was released on bond after spending 45 days in jail. The Cobb County District Attorney's Office released a statement, saying the decision to drop Patel's charges came after a meeting between him and Miller, who expressed that they wanted to "put the incident behind them." The office further stated they are "pleased to have facilitated a resolution and are encouraged by the willingness of both parties to engage in a constructive dialogue." "It made me realize there's justice out there. There are good people," Patel said, adding that he will use his story as a lesson to be more vocal about those who are wrongfully jailed.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Lincoln Pharma Q1 results: Profit up 17% to ₹28 cr, share jumps 8.5%
Lincoln Pharmaceuticals on Thursday reported a nearly 17 per cent growth in net profit to ₹27.70 crore for the April-June quarter as compared to ₹23.69 crore in the same quarter of the last fiscal. Total income rose by 7.3 per cent to ₹169.34 crore in the first quarter of FY26 compared to ₹157.69 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement. "EBITDA for Q1 FY26 was reported at ₹39.08 crore as compared to EBITDA of ₹33.14 crore in Q1 FY25, growth of 17.92 per cent Y-o-Y, the statement said. The company is targeting a revenue of ₹1,000 crore within the next three years, driven by business expansion into high-value product lines and entry into new markets, Lincoln Pharmaceuticals Managing Director Mahendra Patel said. This goal is part of a broader strategy to achieve a 15-18 per cent annual growth rate, driven by strong performance in the cardiac, diabetic, dermatology, and ENT segments, Patel added. During the first quarter, the company started its bulk drug manufacturing plant, he said, adding that the company has received approvals for 10 products and others are under process. The company has invested ₹4 crore for this plant from internal accruals. Shares of the company jumped by 8.47 per cent to close at at ₹576.90 apiece on BSE.
