US visa fraud: Telangana student deported, consultancy firm head held

A 28-year-old student from Nalgonda district was arrested here following his deportation from the US for allegedly using forged documents to obtain his visa, police said on Wednesday.

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Authorities also apprehended the managing director of an overseas education consultancy firm on June 2, who is accused of providing the “forged” degree certificates to the student.

The student, who was pursuing a master’s degree at Webster University in Missouri, was initially arrested on June 1. Both were booked on charges of forgery and cheating.

The student’s deportation from Dallas in the US took place in the last week of May while he was returning from India, after the US immigration officers found that his SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) status was inactive.

Upon his arrival at Rajiv Gandhi International (RGI) Airport in Shamshabad on June 1, immigration authorities here conducted an inquiry during which he reportedly confessed to securing a US visa in September 2023 using “fake” B.Sc. Computer Science certificates.

Following this confession, local immigration authorities filed a complaint at the RGI Airport police station, leading to the student’s arrest and the recording of his statement.

The student informed police that he had obtained the fraudulent documents from the MD of the education consultancy firm. During a search at the firm’s office, the police seized several documents, including certificates from various universities, and Rs 10 lakh in cash from the possession of the MD, who was arrested.

“The student had studied for one year in the US and came to India and stayed for five months. When he returned to the US, immigration officers at the Dallas airport found his student status inactive on the SEVIS and deported him,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (Shamshabad Division) V Sreekanth Goud told PTI.

During interrogation, the MD of the consultancy firm revealed that over the past five years he has sent 15 students abroad and secured admissions by providing “fake” degree certificates to them.

Further investigation is on.