Mahendru P.C. founding partner, Ashish Mahendru, was interviewed by Fox 26 in Houston about a lawsuit filed on behalf of his clients, Tahir Javed and Abrahim Javed, in response to a scheme linked to business and political rivals to disseminate false and defamatory articles about the father and son.
Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner candidate, Taral Patel, and codefendant, Tanweer Ahmed, are accused of having false stories about Abrahim Javed published on various “pay-to-play” websites. These kinds of sites are used primarily to boost the visibility of false claims on pages that the average person could easily mistake for a legitimate and reputable news outlet. This was in response to the younger Javed running against Mr. Patel in the Precinct 3 primary. Soon after Mr. Javed began his campaign, Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Patel began working in concert to discredit both Javeds through these online avenues.
Mr. Patel is the former chief of staff of Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George, and both men have already been indicted in connection with a social media hoax also targeting the Javeds. In that scheme, fake social media profiles were used to post racist and defamatory messages about the Javeds. Mr. Patel faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to using these fake online personas to threaten the Javeds and others.
The lawsuit details the rivalry between the elder Javed and Mr. Ahmed as the catalyst for the smear campaign. The two men had a working relationship that turned contentious in 2023 after Tahir Javed was placed under consideration for a ministerial appointment in Pakistan, and Mr. Ahmed was not.
Mr. Ahmed is accused of commenting on these false and fake social media posts to spread them to his large social media following. He is also accused of paying Mr. Patel $5,000, under the guise of a campaign contribution, to continue the negative wave of commentary.
The elder Mr. Javed is a well-regarded businessman and philanthropist. He is the owner and CEO of numerous companies, including Riceland Healthcare, Starco Fuel, Starco Impex, and Parabolic Technology Industries. He has served as Deputy Finance Chair of the Democratic National Convention and regularly consults with U.S. government officials on matters affecting U.S.-Pakistan relations. His son, Abrahim, has followed a similar path, starting a company that helps raise money for nonprofit organizations and working on the ground for several political campaigns.
Mahendru P.C. is a boutique business and commercial litigation firm whose attorneys are known for their tenacity, intelligence and experience. Founded in 2001, the firm has a simple philosophy: Your problem is our problem. Their objective is to resolve every case in the best, fastest and most cost-efficient manner possible. The firm is well equipped to handle a variety of needs and has extensive experience in employment litigation, high stakes commercial contingency cases, contract and partnership disputes, trade secrets and non-compete agreements, and temporary restraining orders and injunctions.