Sanjana Jon confident new evidence could free her brother.
By Bala Chandran
WASHINGTON, DC: With the “victory” in New York — after 48 of the 49 counts of indictment against him were dismissed — incarcerated fashion designer Anand Jon’s sister Sanjana Jon says that the “total case of victimization” against him has been exposed, and she hopes that with some new evidence that has been given to her brother’s defense, he would soon have a chance to be a free man after spending six years in jail.
“This is a total case of victimization and what’s important is for our community to come together for truth and justice,” said Sanjana Jon, in an interview.
Anand Jon, 38, who has appeared on America’s Next Top Model and whose celebrity clients included Mary J. Blige and Paris Hilton, is currently serving a 59-year to life sentence for a 2008 conviction in California, on more than a dozen counts, including rape and multiple counts of committing a lewd act on a child. He was earlier convicted in Texas, and pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual act in New York last week and sentenced to what amounted to time already served. He is awaiting charges in Dallas and Houston. A trial appeal was denied in California.
Sanjana Jon is confident that as more evidence has surfaced recently “people have become very aware of what has happened.”
She says, “people should first know the truth because when someone is standing and fighting for freedom…I think it’s important for people to realize how an innocent man is being victimized here.”
Anand Jon’s attorney Angelyn Gates had recently revealed that new evidence that has been obtained will play a crucial role in Jon’s appeal process in California. The documents turned over by the prosecutor included email, phone, and social media records from websites such as MySpace and Facebook that show victims in Jon’s case were colluding with each other to build up their case. These records were not turned over to the attorneys prior to Jon’s trial in New York last Thursday.
Exhorting the community to come together, Sanjana Jon says, “factual actual evidence does make a difference,” adding, “now with the victory in New York, with one count (out of 49) that prevailed, it really made a lot of people step and realize Anand Jon could be actually telling the truth.”
In a plea to the Indian American community to come together for Anand’s cause, Sanjana says, ”I need people to step up and I need people to come forth to free an innocent man, and for this to not happen to another innocent person and another family getting victimized like this.”
Sanjana says she has a “lot of faith” in the American justice system, “but it is the people that can manipulate the system, that can put a lot of people in situations like this.”
“Look at the African American community and the unity (they display), which is why they have a voice that is heard,” says Sanjana. “Similarly, even though we are a minority here, we are a very strong minority. And I have faith in my community to step up because this is a situation which could happen to anyone tomorrow. And it is high time we stepped up. Six years of our lives have been taken for nothing. So it is important.”
She also advocates creating a “legal awareness group” for people of the community who are in jail.
“There are so many people in prison but that is not highlighted in the media and they probably don’t know what to do. And a lot of people keep quiet because of the shame and the factor that they don’t want the community to find out,” says Jon. “But I think it is important that we have a group that can legally help people because to fight any case in this country is so expensive and it is impossible for anyone to face such a situation. So I think the community should come up with a help center of sorts.”
She adds: “the functions, the ceremonies, the awards — all that’s great. But trust me, it’s when the person is down, that’s when their families need the help most. So I think it is very important… just a humble request, reaching out… because what I went through , I wouldn’t want any sister, what my mother has gone through, any mother or any family to go through. It is important that we stand together for truth, for justice and for freedom.”
To contact the author, e-mail: editor@americanbazaaronline.com