The victim in a domestic violence case involving a former Silicon Valley tech executive says she was let down by the legal system.
Earlier this year, Abhishek Gattani faced two felony counts of domestic violence for beating his wife. But during plea bargaining, the charges were reduced. On Thursday, a judge accepted most of the terms of the plea deal but required Gattani to self-surrender to serve a one-month jail sentence starting Friday.
The victim, Neha Rastogi, said she was hoping for a more severe punishment after she endured more than a decade of abuse.
"These people who we believe in the privacy of our own homes that they’re stronger than us are actually way weaker than us," said Rastogi, who has worked at Apple, Adobe and Cisco. "We’re the stronger ones who are able to take the abuse and still survive."
Outside the Palo Alto courthouse Thursday, a small group of protesters called for justice in her honor.
Gattani, former CEO of Cuberon, has been sentenced to three years of probation, 30 days in jail, and five months of community service.
