BOSTON — More than two dozen Indian-American families filled the courtroom, and at least 104 more watched via Zoom, as victims of a wide-ranging home burglary ring delivered powerful, emotional testimonies during a long-awaited impact hearing at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Tuesday.
The hearing is part of an ongoing case that has shaken the South Asian community across Massachusetts and beyond—an alleged multi-year crime spree that targeted 92 homes in over 40 towns, with a reported $4 million in valuables stolen, including deeply personal and irreplaceable family heirlooms.
But for the victims who stood before the judge, the losses weren’t just monetary. They represented something far more profound: the theft of ancestral memory, generational identity, and a sense of safety.
Samir Desai, whose home in Lincoln, MA was among those ransacked, opened the hearing with a voice full of pain and conviction.
“We appear before you not just as victims of theft,” Desai said, “but as members of a community that has been profoundly violated. Ninety-two homes. Forty-one towns. Six years. Over four million dollars in stolen treasures.
And yet, no number can ever capture what was truly taken from us. What these men stole was not merely gold or jewelry—it was memory, identity, and peace.”
His words echoed through the courtroom, visibly moving many in attendance, including family members holding back tears as they listened.
Others followed with stories equally wrenching and raw. Sanjay and Pritinder Saini of Weston, Kiran Mantha of Hopkinton, Lekha Patel, mother of Reena Patel of Easton, and Shrenik Shah of Boxborough each addressed the court, speaking not just for themselves, but for the entire South Asian community, which has lived in fear and grief since the crimes came to light.
Many described items taken from their homes that were not replaceable by insurance or money—ancestral jewelry passed down through generations, religious artifacts that had traveled continents, and gifts from parents and grandparents now deceased.
“These weren’t just things,” said one speaker outside the court. “They were the heartbeat of our heritage, of our history, of our families. To take them is to erase chapters of our lives.”
Another victim described how their children still sleep with lights on, afraid the intruders will return. Some families confessed they were no longer safe in a country they had long called home.
Prosecutors have alleged that the burglaries were strategically executed, targeting South Asian families for their cultural practices, including the tradition of keeping ceremonial jewelry and heirlooms in their homes.
“This was not just robbery,” one victim said said outside the courtroom. “It was a violation targeted not just at homes, but at heritage.”
The courtroom was filled not only with grief, but also a growing resolve for justice. More than 100 community members have signed a petition calling for the maximum penalty to be imposed on those convicted—arguing that only a strong sentence will send a clear message that such racially and culturally motivated crimes will not be tolerated.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 20, 2025, where sentencing discussions are expected to continue.
