A 28-year-old student from Nalgonda district was arrested in Hyderabad after being deported from the United States (U.S.) for allegedly using forged documents to obtain a student visa. The student, identified as Gopal Reddy, had been pursuing a master’s degree at Webster University in Missouri.
He was detained by immigration officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad on Sunday (June 1, 2025) after his arrival from Dallas, where U.S. authorities had denied him re-entry.
Shamshabad assistant commissioner of police (ACP) V. Sreekanth Goud said that the student’s SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) status was found to be inactive when he landed in Dallas, prompting his deportation and an enquiry by the immigration authorities in RGIA.
During questioning, Reddy confessed that he had secured his U.S. visa using forged B.Sc. Computer Science degree certificates. Following his statement, a complaint was lodged with the local police, who arrested him on Monday (June 2, 2025).
The same day, RGIA police also arrested 29-year-old K. Ashok, the managing director of Dhanalaxmi Overseas, a consultancy firm based in B.N. Reddy Nagar, for allegedly providing the fake certificates. A search at the firm’s premises led to the seizure of 17 counterfeit certificates from various universities and ₹10 lakh in cash.
“Gopal Reddy had studied for one year in the U.S. and returned to India for five months. When he tried to re-enter the U.S., immigration officers found that his student visa status was inactive and deported him,” said the ACP.
During interrogation, Ashok admitted to having sent 15 students abroad over the past five years using forged documents to secure admissions. Police have launched further investigation to trace these students and identify others involved in the racket. The two have been remanded for judicial custody.
Published – June 05, 2025 02:31 pm IST
