Notably, there are no letters of support from former U.S President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary, with whom Chatwal was considered to be very close.

Chatwal had raised at least USD 100,000 for Hillary's 2008 presidential campaign against Barack Obama.

A July 2014 letter by author Deepak Chopra describes him as a "compassionate, caring and selfless" person who has been "very instrumental in fostering relationships" between the governments of India and the U.S.

Zee Network Chairman Subhash Chandra, who has been Chatwal's friends for over 20 years, said in his letter of support dated May 2014 that Chatwal is a "hard worker who has done much for the people of India and the U.S."

Former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of India T.K.A. Nair said in a June 2014 letter that "as a devout Sikh and philanthropist, Chatwal has been rendering commendable service to society in different areas."

Nair noted the "remarkable passion" with which Chatwal committed himself to the cause of the civil nuclear deal.

Among those who have written letters are his wife, sons Vikram and Vivek, Former Indian Consul General in New York Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, CEO of YES Bank Rana Kapoor, media honcho Robert Johnson and restaurant titan Geoffrey Zakarian.

"We ask that the Court take these letters, together with a sentencing memorandum to be filed separately, into account in determining a just and appropriate sentence," said Jonathan Sack, whose firm represents Chatwal.

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