Georgia: Indian-Origin Man Sues After Dropped Kidnapping Case

An Indian-origin man in Georgia who spent nearly seven weeks in jail on a false kidnapping allegation has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit seeking damages for wrongful prosecution and emotional trauma. Mahendra Patel, 57, was arrested in March 2025 after a woman at a Walmart in Kennesaw accused him of attempting to abduct her two-year-old child, describing the brief interaction as a “tug of war”.

Patel was charged with criminal attempt to commit kidnapping, assault and battery, and was denied bond, leaving him in custody for 47 days despite store surveillance footage showing no use of force or attempt to take the child, the complaint alleges. All charges were dismissed on August 6, 2025, but Patel says he suffered reputational damage, lost business opportunities and continues to experience psychological distress.

The lawsuit names the Acworth Police Department, a detective, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office and others as defendants, accusing them of pursuing felony charges without probable cause and ignoring exculpatory video evidence. Patel is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial, framing the case as a test of police and prosecutorial accountability.