Indian-American gets 8 years in prison for attempted White House attack: Who is he? How did he plan it?

An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for ramming a truck in the White House gates in 2023. His goal - to eliminate the US president and seize control.

On May 22, 2023, Sai Varshith Kandula rammed his car, a U-haul truck, into the security barricades on the north side of the Lafayette Park entrance of the White House. During the investigation, he told authorities that he wanted to "overthrow democracy" in the US and establish a "dictatorship" inspired by Nazi Germany.

Nearly two years after the incident, he has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Here is what you should know about the 21-year-old man.

Who is Sai Varshith Kandula?

A resident of Chesterfield, Missouri, Kandula flew from St. Louis to Dulles International Airport on a one-way ticket. He rented a truck just hours before crashing it into the White House entrance, reported NBC News.

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He drove the vehicle onto a sidewalk outside the White House and into a metal barrier just north of the White House, according to court documents. Kandula put the truck into reverse and crashed into the barrier a second time before United States Park Police officers took him into custody, according to a statement filed by a Secret Service agent, NBC News reported.

Kandula is seen with a Nazi flag once he was ordered down by the United States Park Police. File image/AP

When the vehicle started smoking up from the crash, he took out a Nazi Swastika flag from his backpack and began waving it around till the US Park Police and Secret Service arrested him.

“He wanted to eliminate the democratic process in America and replace the government with a Nazi-style dictatorship,” prosecutors said.

Why was he carrying a Nazi flag?

Following his arrest, he confessed that he saw the Nazis as great leaders and that "Nazis have a great history," hence he bought the Nazi Swastika flag. “He specifically praised Adolf Hitler. And it wasn’t just words — when his truck was disabled in the attack, the first thing he did was unfurl the flag of Nazi Germany,” prosecutors wrote.

After Kandula’s arrest, two psychologists diagnosed him with schizophrenia, according to defence attorney Scott Rosenblum. “Both also believe his illness led directly to his offence,” the lawyer wrote. Rosenblum said Kandula’s conviction will likely result in his deportation to India.

How long is Kandula's prison sentence?

Kandula has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his violent act. US District Judge Dabney Friedrich also sentenced Kandula to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay nearly $57,000 (Rs 49.35 lakhs) in restitution, according to court records.

Rosenblum said Kandula was suffering from schizophrenia and was overwhelmed by delusional thoughts, including his belief that “a reptilian race had installed a puppet regime to operate the US”

“He’s amenable to treatment, understands its necessity, and recognises an illness produced by the acts that led to his current circumstances,” Rosenblum wrote.

Authorities didn’t find any weapons, ammunition or explosives in his possession. But prosecutors said the attempted assassination of President-elect Donald Trump at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania shows that “individuals who carry such destructive intent are capable of inflicting serious damage to the American political system.”

With inputs from agencies