Sonam Bhutia v. Eric H. Holder Jr.

MEMORANDUM

Sonam Bhutia, a native and citizen of India, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) final order of removal in which the BIA adopted an Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) decision denying Bhutia’s application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”).

Bhutia never suffered persecution in India. See Gonzalez-Medina v. Holder, 641 F.3d 333, 337 (9th Cir.2011). He contends that the persecution suffered at the hands of Nepalese authorities amounted to past persecution by Indian authorities. The IJ found that the conduct of the Nepalese authorities could not be imputed to the Indian authorities. There is no evidence compelling a contrary finding.

Indian police once detained and slapped Bhutia’s father, but this conduct was not persecutory. See Gu v. Gonzales, 454 F.3d 1014, 1019-21 (9th Cir.2006). Nor did the death threat that Indian police indirectly communicated toward Bhutia amount to persecution. See Ruano v. Ashcroft, 301 F.3d 1155, 1160-61 (9th Cir.2002). Substantial evidence thus supports the IJ’s denial of Bhutia’s application for asylum. Zhiqiang Hu v. Holder, 652 F.3d 1011, 1016 (9th…