T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he H onor abl e M i c ha e l M . A ne l l o, U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f or ** the S outhe rn D i s tr i c tof C a l i f orni a , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T H A R V IN D E R S IN G H G A B R I, P et i t i on er , v . E R I C H . H O L D E R J r ., A tto rn e y G e n e r a l, R e s p o n d e n t. N o. 05- 76404 A ge nc y N o. A 096- 152- 282 ME MOR AN DU M *

O n P e t i t i on f

orR e vi e w of

a n O r de rof

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d M a r c h 1, 2010 S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B e f o r e : B . F L E T C HE R a n d C L I F T ON , C i r c u i tJ u d g e s , a n d AN E L L O, D i stri ct ** Judg e. H arvi nd erS i ng h G abri , a nat i ve of Indi a, appeal s the deci si on of the B oard o f I mmi g r a t i o n A p p e a l s ( “ BI A ” ) a f f i rmi n g th e d e n i a l o f

h i s ap p l i c a t i o n f

o ra s y l u m, 

# FI LED APR01 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSP age 2 of 6

w ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l, a n d r e lie f

u n d e rth e C o n v e n tio n A g a in s t T o rtu r e ( “C A T ” ) . W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on unde r8 U . S . C . § 1252 a nd w e de ny the pe t i t i on. G abri ’ s pet i t i on for a sy l um , w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al , and C A T re l i ef re st ed o n th r e e g r o u n d s : th e d e a th o f h i s f a th e rd u r i n g th e 1 9 8 4 Hi n d u r i o t s ; Gab r i ’ s two arre st s, on e i n 2 00 0 and on e i n 2 00 1, du ri ng w hi ch po l i ce beathi m ; and the m urder of a n a c qua i nt a nc e i n F e brua ry 2002. G abr i t e s t i f i e d tha the f

l e d I ndi ai n 2002 af t eratt em pt i ng t o p rovi de i nform at i on t o the po l i ce abou tthe m urder. T he i m m i gr a t i on j udge ( “ I J ” ) de ni e d G abr i ’ s appl i c a t i on on J une 9, 2004, f in d in g h is te s tim o n y n o t c r e d ib le . G ab r i h a d te s tif ie d th a t, in 2 0 0 2 , h e w a s a t a party a tw hi ch a f

ri end, N at i sh K at ar a, w as pres ent . H e l at erre ad i n the new s that K at ar a had been m urdered. N ew spaperre po rt s i n M ar ch 20 02 st at ed thatV i kas a nd V i s ha l Y a da v, the s on a nd ne phe w of D . P . Y a da v, ha d c onf

e s s e d t o the m u r d e r . G abri t es t i fi ed on cr oss- exam i nat i on thathe di d n otkn ow K at ar a very w e ll a n d d id n o t k n o w w h o s e p a rty it w a s o rw h o s e m a rr ia g e it c e le b r a te d . G abri t es t i fi ed thathe w ant ed t o t el l the po l i ce thatK at ar a had feare d h arm fr om the Y adav fami l y and thathe had seen K at ar a argui ng w i th V i kas Y adav “f r o m af a rd is ta n c e ,” b u t th a t h e c o u ld n o t h e a rth e s u b s ta n c e o f th e c o n v e r s a tio n . T h e p o l i ce refu sed t o l i st en an d i n st ead accu sed G ab ri o f w an t i n g t o t est i fy ag ai n st the Y a da v c ous i ns be c aus e of al ong- s t a ndi ng t e ns i on be tw e e n the Y a da v a ndP age 3 of 6

G abri fa m i l i es . A ft erG abri att em pt ed t o p rovi de thi s i nform at i on t o the po l i ce , V i k as Y ad av an d sev eral arm ed p o l i ce o ffi cers cam e t o G ab ri ’ s h o u se o n A u g u st 1 8 , 2 0 0 2 . G ab r i f

le d f r o m th e r o o f

a n d e s c ap e d th e e n s u in g g u n f ir e u n h a rm e d . W hen G abri re turned h om e the nextday, hi s m other t ol d h i m thatV i kas Y adav had threa t ened t o k i l l G abri because he knew t oo m uch abo utK at ar a’ s m urder. I n s upportof

thi s t e s t i m ony , G abr i of f e r e d a f f i da vi t s f r om ac ous i n a nd nei gh bo r, w hi ch the IJno t ed w er e nearl y i dent i ca l i n con t ent . E ac h aff i davi tst at ed th a t th e K a ta r am u r d e ro c c u rr e d in J u n e 2 0 0 2 . T h e IJ ci t ed i n co n si st en ci es i n G ab ri ’ s t est i m o n y i n su p p o rto f th e ad v erse cr ed ib il ity f

in d in g . T h e I J n o ted th at th e d ate o f K atar a’s d ea th in G ab ri’s d e c la r a tio n a n d th e s u p p o rtin g a f f id a v its d id n o t m a tc h th e d a te o f K a ta r a ’s d e a th re po rt ed i n the subm i tt ed new spaperart i cl es . T he IJal so qu es t i on ed w hether G abri kne w of the m ur de ra ta l l be f

or e l e a vi ng f

orthe U ni t e d S t a t e s a nd not e d tha tthe s u s p e c ts , th e Y a d a v c o u s in s , w e r e in c u s to d y a n d a w a itin g tr ia l w h e n G ab r i tr ie d to pr ovi de i nf

orm a t i on t o the pol i c e . I n a ddi t i on, the I J f ound tha tG abr i di d notha ve th e tr a d itio n a l ap p e a r a n c e o f aS ik h a n d th a t, e v e n if G ab r i w e r e aS ik h , am in o r ity S ik h r e c e n tly h a d b e e n e le c te d p r im e m in is te r . T he B I A a dopt e d a nd a f f i rm e d the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty de t e rm i na t i on on O c t obe r11, 2005, r e vi e w i ng f orc l e a re rr ori n a ddi t i on t o c i t i ng M at te rof B ur bano ,P age 4 of 6

2 0 I. & N . D ec. 8 7 2 (B IA 1 9 9 4 ). T h e B IA fo u n d “ si g n i fi can ti n co n si st en ci es” s upport i ng the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng. S pe c i f

i c a l l y , the B I A c i t e d the i nc ons i s t e nc y be tw e e n the a c tua l t i m i ng of K a t a r a ’ s de a th i n F e brua ry 2002 a nd the s t a t e m e nt s of

the a f f i da vi t s a nd de c l a r a t i on pl a c i ng the m ur de ri n J une 2002, a nd the fa ctthatthe Y adav cousi ns w er e i n cust od y and had con fe ss ed t o the m urder at the t i m e G abri t es t i fi ed the po l i ce ca m e t o h i s hou se w i th o ne of the cousi ns, V i kas Y a d a v . T h e B I A d id n o t a d d r e s s th e I J ’s o th e rf in d in g s . R a th e r , th e B I A b a s e d its d e c is io n “s o le ly o n th e a d v e r s e c r e d ib ility f in d in g .” B e c aus e the B I A r e vi e w e d the I J ’ s de c i s i on f orc l e a re rr or , a nd a dopt e d a nd affi rm ed th e IJ’ s ad v erse cred i b i l i ty d et erm i n at i o n , w e l o o kt o th e IJ’ s d eci si o n as a gui de , r e vi e w i ng the r e a s ons the B I A e xpl i c i t l y i de nt i f i e d, a nd the n e xa m i ni ng the I J ’s r e a s o n in g . T

ekle v . Mukasey , 533 F . 3d 1044, 1051 ( 9th C i r . 2008) . “ W e do notr e vi e w thos e pa rt s of the I J ’ s a dve r s e c r e di bi l i ty f i ndi ng tha tthe B I A di d not i dent i fyas ‘ m ostsi gn i fi cant ’ and d i d n ototherw i se m ent i on . ” I d. W e r e vi e w the c r e d ib ility f

in d in g s f o rs u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . So to-O larte v . H older , 555 F . 3d 10 89 , 10 91 (9th C i r. 20 09 ). S u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e s u p p o rt s th e f i n d i n g th a tGab r i wa s n o tc r e d i b l e . On c r os s - e xa m i na t i on, G abr i of f e r e d c onf

l i c t i ng t e s t i m ony aboutw he n he w e ntt o the pol i c e s t a t i on. H e t e s t i f i e d tha the w e ntt o the pol i c e s oon a f t e rl e a rni ng of

theP age 5 of 6

m u rd erin F eb ru ar y 2 0 0 2 . H e th en stated th at h e h ad g o n e to th e p o li ce statio n “a fe w days earl i erthan 1 8 A ug ust . ” I n a d d itio n , a f

te rb e in g in f

o rm e d th a t V ik a s Y a d a v w a s in p o lic e c u s to d y in A ug ust20 02 , G abri t es t i fi ed thathe on l y “ saw a per son [ ] re se m bl i ng V i kas Y a d a v , b u t m y m o th e rto ld m e th a t h e w a s V ik a s Y a d a v ” a t h is h o u s e in A u g u s t. G abr i ’ s de c l a r a t i on i n s upportof hi s a s y l um appl i c a t i on, how e ve r , s t a t e d tha the saw V i kas and the po l i ce , w ho fi re d sho t s a thi m and i nsul t ed hi s m other. G abri coul d n otexpl ai n w hy the af fi davi t s s t at ed the K at ar a m urder occurr ed i n J une 2002 w he n i ta c tua l l y t ook pl a c e i n F e brua ry 2002, e xc e ptt o s t a t e on c r os s - e xa m i na t i on tha tne i the rhi s c ous i n norhi s ne i ghbor , both of w hom s ubm i tt e d a f

f i da vi t s i n E ngl i s h, s poke E ngl i s h. F urthe rm or e , a tthe be gi nni ng of hi s t es t i m on y bef

ore the IJ , G abri had request ed thathi s ow n d ec l ar at i on i n sup po rt o f h is ap p lic a tio n b e c o rr e c te d to r e f le c t th a t K a ta r a ’s m u r d e rto o kp la c e in F ebruary20 02 i nst ea d o f Jun e 200 2. T he decl ar at i on show s thatthe w ord “ June” i s ha ndw r i tt e n on the type d de c l a r a t i on. B e c aus e G abr i pr e m i s e d hi s a s y l um c l a i m i n pa rton the i nc i de ntf ol l ow i ng K a ta r a ’s m u r d e r— in d e e d , h e s ta te d th a t in c id e n t w a s th e o n e th a t p r o m p te d h im to le a v e I n d ia

— th e te s tim o n y g o e s to th e h e art o f h is c la im . Se e D e s ta v . A s h c r o ft ,P age 6 of 6

365 F . 3d 741, 745 ( 9th C i r . 2004) . T he r e f or e , w e a f

f i rm the B I A ’ s de ni a l of G ab r i ’ s a s y l u m c l a i m. B e c au s e G ab r i f

a ile d to e s tab lis h e lig ib ility f o ra s y lu m , h e n e c e s s a r ily f a ile d to m e e t th e m o r e s tr in g e n t s ta n d a r d f o rw ith h o ld in g o f

r e m o v a l. See Zehat

ye v. G on zales , 45 3 F . 3d 11 82 , 11 90 (9th C i r. 20 06 ). F i na l l y , G abr i i s note nt i t l e d t o C A T r e l i e f . “ B e c aus e [ G abr i ’ s ] t e s t i m ony w as foun d n otcr edi bl e, t o revers e the B IA ’ s dec i si on w e w ou l d h ave t o fi nd that th e r e p o rts a lo n e c o m p e lle d th e c o n c lu s io n th a t [ G ab r i] is m o r e lik e ly th a n n o t to be t ortured. ” A lm ag hzar v. G on zales , 457 F . 3d 915, 922- 23 ( 9th C i r . 2006) . T he doc um e nt a ry e vi de nc e doe s notc om pe l thi s c onc l us i on. P e t i t i o n DE NI E D.