California Man’s 378-Year Sentence Overturned After Judge Finds Accuser May Have Lied
WOODLAND, Calif. — A Northern California man sentenced to 378 years in prison for the alleged sexual abuse of his adopted daughter has been freed after 16 years, following a judge’s ruling that casts serious doubt on the accuser’s credibility.
Ajay Dev, 58, was released on May 23, after Yolo County Superior Court Judge Janene Beronio overturned his convictions on 76 counts of sexual assault and related charges. The court cited compelling new testimony that his adopted daughter, Sapna Dev, may have fabricated the allegations to remain in the United States and punish her adoptive father for a personal grievance.
Dev, an immigrant from Nepal and a former water engineer, had adopted 15-year-old Sapna—his relative—while visiting Nepal in 1998 with his wife. The couple brought her to live with them in Davis, California.
According to court findings, the accusations surfaced in 2004, following a breakup between Sapna and her boyfriend. She blamed Ajay for the split and subsequently claimed that he had abused her two to three times a week over several years. Her allegations led to Dev’s conviction and an extraordinary 378-year sentence.
New Testimony Changes Everything
At a recent hearing, four previously unheard witnesses testified that Sapna told them she fabricated the allegations. One stated she confessed the charges were a strategy to return to the U.S. by leveraging a criminal case. These revelations, Judge Beronio wrote, undermined the original prosecution.
“This crime is extraordinary because it resulted in unimaginable personal and legal devastation,” Beronio noted in her decision.
The judge also criticized the defense team from the original trial for failing to call key witnesses, and pointed to the presence of racial and ethnic bias in the prosecution’s arguments—bias that would now be illegal under California’s 2021 Racial Justice Act.
Prosecutors May Retry Case
Dev’s fate still hangs in the balance. A hearing has been scheduled for June 13, when Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig will announce whether the state intends to retry the case or appeal the ruling. Reisig’s office declined comment.
Meanwhile, Deputy District Attorney Adrienne Chin-Perez has argued that Dev remains a flight risk and potential threat, reading a statement from Sapna Dev claiming she still fears he will harm her.
Efforts to contact Sapna or confirm her legal representation were unsuccessful.
Supporters Celebrate, Advocate for Justice Reform
Patricia Pursell, a member of a local advocacy group that has supported Dev, called the decision “a dismantling of the DA’s case.”
“We’ve believed from day one that Ajay was wrongfully convicted,” she said. “This is the first judge who actually looked at all the evidence.”
Dev’s attorney, Jennifer Mouzis, who filed the habeas corpus petition in 2018, echoed that sentiment. She said the prosecution’s original case leaned heavily on racially prejudicial tropes that wouldn’t stand under modern legal standards.