Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi

New Delhi, May 28: In a deeply distressing case that shook international communities, two men are now facing sentencing in a Minnesota federal court for their roles in a human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of a family of four from Gujarat, India, who froze to death while attempting to cross into the United States from Canada during a severe blizzard in 2022.

The U.S. federal prosecutors have sought nearly 20 years in prison for Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, believed to be the mastermind of the smuggling ring, and over 10 years for Steve Anthony Shand, the man who was supposed to pick up the family from the U.S. side.

The final sentencing will be delivered by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. In his earlier ruling, Judge Tunheim declined to overturn the convictions, stating, “This was not a close case.”

The victims — Jagdish Patel (39), his wife Vaishaliben (mid-30s), their daughter Vihangi (11), and son Dharmik (3) — were found dead just north of the Manitoba-Minnesota border by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on January 19, 2022. The family, hailing from Dingucha village in Gujarat, were schoolteachers and had hoped for a better life abroad.

Their deaths occurred under brutal weather conditions with wind chills plunging to -36°F (-38°C). Prosecutors painted a haunting picture: the father died shielding his son’s face, while the mother was found slumped against a fence, believing help lay just beyond.

Despite the deadly outcome, prosecutors claim the smugglers showed no remorse. "Mr Patel has never shown an ounce of regret," said lead prosecutor Michael McBride. He added that Shand, too, prioritized "not losing any money" over the lives of the people stranded in the snow.

According to the prosecution, Patel — an Indian national operating under the alias "Dirty Harry" — and Shand, a U.S. citizen from Florida, were part of a larger international smuggling operation that trafficked people from India into the U.S. via Canada, often using fraudulent student visas.

On the night of the fatal crossing, seven others were part of the group, and though most survived, many suffered from severe frostbite and hypothermia. Only two reached Shand’s van, which was stuck in snow, while the rest were left to battle the elements.

Patel’s legal team maintained his innocence, denying he was the infamous “Dirty Harry” and requesting a government-paid attorney for his appeal, citing no income or assets since his arrest at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in February 2024.

Shand, free pending sentencing, argued for leniency, with his lawyer stating he was merely a driver trying to support a large family and had no control or leadership role in the scheme. His attorney, Aaron Morrison, called the prosecution’s sentencing demand “unduly punitive” and instead asked for a sentence of just 27 months.

But prosecutors remain firm: “This was not a mistake. This was a business,” McBride wrote, emphasizing the callous disregard shown by both men as an innocent family perished in the snow.

The case has cast a harsh spotlight on the growing desperation among some Indian families, especially from Gujarat, to seek a better future abroad, often falling prey to dangerous networks. The incident has also led to calls for stricter monitoring of student visa abuse and cross-border trafficking routes.

As Judge Tunheim prepares to deliver his verdict, the world watches, hoping justice will not only punish the guilty but also serve as a deterrent to those who trade in human desperation — often at the cost of innocent lives.