Old Man Jailed for Threatening British Indian Former Min Priti Patel

A 65-year-old man was sentenced to five months imprisonment for sending a threatening letter to former British home secretary Priti Patel. The accused, Pooneeraj Canakiah was sentenced by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London last week.

The letter was addressed to the British Indian Patel. It had the handwritten words “personal letter” on its cover. The letter was opened by a member of her staff on January 22, 2022, while she was the Home Secretary of Britain. The content of the letter was grossly offensive and abusive.

Forensic analysis proved that Pooneeraj Canakiah wrote the letter. When interviewed by the police, Canakiah – a health care sector worker from east London – denied having written the letter but eventually pleaded guilty to one offence of sending a letter conveying an indecent or offensive message in March last year.