Leftist Who Firebombed Pro-Life Group’s Office Wants Charges Dropped
A grand jury indicted a former University of Wisconsin researcher in April for after police said he was involved in the firebombing of the pro-life Wisconsin Family Action office last year.
Now the abortion advocate wants the charges dropped.
The grand jury in the Western District Court of Wisconsin indicted Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, formerly of Madison, after authorities arrested him March 28, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said he was trying to “terrorize” and “intimidate” pro-life advocates by vandalizing and setting the offices of Wisconsin Family Action on fire, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
On May 8, 2022, the pro-life organization’s office in Madison was heavily damaged by fire, and the threat “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and other graffiti was spray-painted on several exterior walls. The attack was one of many that targeted pro-life organizations in the wake of the Supreme Court leak of the Dobbs v. Jackson abortion ruling.
In a press release, the U.S. Department of Justice said Roychowdhury is charged with attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. But now he wants the charges dismissed.
An attorney for Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury filed the motion earlier this month, saying the federal arson statute Roychowdhury is accused of breaking is unconstitutional.
Roychowdhury’s attorney also filed a motion to suppress any evidence found in a search warrant of his home as well as of his cell phone.
“The affidavit did not establish a nexus between the crime and the home—the probable cause (if it ever existed) had grown stale over the intervening ten months,” his attorney wrote in the motion to suppress.
He also argued that the affidavit to search Roychowdhury’s phone established no reason to extend the search to his electronic devices.
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Roychowdhury was a research assistant and doctorate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison around the time of the attack and received his degree that same month, the Journal Sentinel reports. A LinkedIn profile for Roychowdhury says he recently began working at the Promega Corporation, which also is located in Madison, Wisconsin.
“He is no longer affiliated with the university,” a university spokesperson told the newspaper this week.
Here’s more from the newspaper:
An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined the fire was incendiary and was started using a device that was “consistent with the appearance and components of a Molotov cocktail,” according to the criminal complaint. …
Investigators were able to track down Roychowdhury through DNA evidence and locating his vehicle in a separate graffiti incident that was similar to one spray painted on May 8.
Local and federal law enforcement, including the Madison Police and the FBI, said they identified Roychowdhury as a possible suspect earlier this year after he allegedly vandalized the Wisconsin State Capitol and authorities noticed the graffiti appeared similar to the attack on the pro-life organization.
Later, police said they were able to match DNA evidence from the scene of the crime to Roychowdhury after they recovered a burrito meal that he had thrown in the trash.
Details provided by the authorities also suggest Roychowdhury may have been trying to flee the country. In March, authorities said he traveled from Madison, Wisconsin to Portland, Maine, and then purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, Guatemala, departing March 28. Law enforcement said they arrested Roychowdhury that same day at the Boston Logan International Airport.
Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said he is proud that their persistent investigation finally led them to a suspect.
“For months, our detectives remained committed to finding those responsible for this arson,” Barnes said in a statement. “When tips and leads were limited, they never gave up. Their persistence is proof that hateful acts do not have a place in Madison. I applaud their work and want to thank our federal partners for all of their help leading up to this arrest.”
Meanwhile, attacks have continued. In March, threats were written and windows were smashed at First Care pregnancy center in Minneapolis, Minnesota ahead of a pro-abortion protest. Two students also were arrested and charged with felonies at the University of Florida this month for allegedly stealing materials from the pro-life organization Created Equal and resisting arrest.
LifeNews counted about 250 attacks in 2022, including the shooting of an elderly pro-life woman in Michigan.
In November, FBI Director Christopher Wray admitted that most of the abortion-related attacks in the past year have targeted pro-life organizations. “Since the Dobbs decision, probably in the neighborhood of 70 percent of our abortion-related violence cases or threats cases are cases of violence or threats against … pro-life organizations,” he told a U.S. Senate committee.
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