Asian Indian Businesses Face Racial Slurs, Intimidation and Danger

Cleveland businessmen of Asian Indian (and Arab) origin face racism, ethnic intimidation and dangerous customers

On October 5, 2014, 34 year old, Sachin Rana from Punjab, India was shot dead at Home Town Grocery store at 5611 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland.  He lived in Parma Heights.

In April, 2014, 41 year old, Babu Kumer Saha from subcontinental India (Bangladesh) was shot dead at In Prime Gas Station on Granger Road in Maple Heights.  He lived in Parma.

National Spelling Bee

 Cory Shaffer of Northeast Ohio Media Group provides in this revealing article the business customer conditions that immigrant businessmen have to deal with in Greater Cleveland. 

Sachin Rana pepper sprayed a 31-year-old man, who was arrested in July after Rana's wife caught him sticking a 44-ounce can of Colt 45 into his back pocket, according to a police report. Patel confronted the man, pulled can from his pocket and told him to leave.  The man told Patel he had a gun. Rana pepper sprayed him and pushed him out the door, angering him. He then threatened to shoot the couple. He reached into his waistband and pulled out what looked like the handle of a gun.  The man ended up pleading no contest to a misdemeanor open container charge, and was fined $100.  Police were called to the store in April after a 36-year-old man said Rana threatened him with a gun. Then the man bought some beer, and got into an argument with Rana as he left.  The man said Patel was staring at him as he walked through the store about 10:30 p.m. When he asked her why she was watching him, Patel said she was watching for people stealing. The two got into a heated argument, according to police.  Rana and Patel said the man threatened to go get a gun and shoot Rana, and threatened to slap Patel. That's when Rana pulled out his gun and kept it by his side, he told police.  Police reviewed surveillance footage, and sided with Rana and Patel, the report said.  No charges resulted in that case.
 
That wasn't the case in July 2013 when a customer shouted racial slurs at Rana. A 36-year-old Cleveland man was charged with ethnic intimidation and assault after he came into the store as it was closing, about 12:30 a.m. When Patel asked him to leave, the man spit on her face and left.  The next day, the man returned to the store several times, was told to leave and threatened to come back each time. Finally, he came back about 12:30 a.m. July 25, and immediately began screaming at the victims.

"You Arab monkeys have taken over my hood," the man said. "I'm going to kill you all! I'm going to burn this place down!"

Rana pepper sprayed the man in the face, and he left. He returned about 30 minutes later with a towel wrapped around his shoulders, saying he had taken a shower. He again began to scream at Rana and Patel. They called police and he was arrested.  He eventually pleaded guilty to attempted ethnic intimidation and aggravated menacing charges, and was sentenced to six months in prison. He is currently in jail on felonious assault charges, accused of trying to stab a woman at a party.

Other reports show customers and former employees have struck Rana in the head with a beer can and threatened to shoot Rana and sexually assault Patel in separate incidents. In 2012, Rana found a bullet hole in his car in the parking lot.