Overview

• The trial of Steve Shand and Harshkumar Patel is underway in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, where they face charges related to a human smuggling operation.
• The case involves the deaths of Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishali, and their two children, who froze while attempting to cross the border in January 2022.
• Witnesses have described the severe weather conditions, with wind chills reaching -30°C, on the night the family perished.
• Shand and Patel are accused of being part of a smuggling ring that transported Indian nationals to Canada, instructing them to cross into the U.S. on foot.
• Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, with Shand's defense claiming he was unaware of the smuggling activities and Patel's defense denying his involvement in the ring.