A Georgia man who spent more than six weeks in jail after being accused of trying to kidnap a toddler at a Walmart has filed a federal lawsuit claiming wrongful prosecution and civil rights violations.57-year-old Mahendra Patel of Acworth, Georgia, was arrested in March 2025 after a shopper told police he tried to abduct her 2‑year‑old son inside a Walmart Supercenter. He remained in the Cobb County Jail for more than 40 days without bond before the case was dismissed later that year.On February 9, 2026, Patel filed a complaint in an Atlanta court. The lawsuit names 1) the woman who accused him, Caroline Miller, 2) the Acworth Police Department, 3) the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office, and several investigators. Patel’s lawyers said the charges were pursued even though surveillance video showed he did nothing wrong.Patel said the video proved he was not guilty. It showed him helping the child, who looked unsteady, while he was shopping for medicine. He was not trying to take the boy: “I went to get Tylenol and got the biggest headache of my life,” he said at a news conference.The lawsuit asks for money to cover losses and punishment, plus lawyers’ fees. Patel’s lawyers say the police and prosecutors ignored or hid evidence, had no good reason to charge him, and violated his rights.According to The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution, Patel said he was pulled over and arrested at gunpoint shortly after the Walmart incident. The complaint states he suffered lost wages, emotional distress, and damage to his reputation because of the arrest and jail time in 2025.Patel’s lawyer said the case shows a problem when police and prosecutors press charges even when evidence suggests the person did nothing wrong.
