US deports student for fake visa documents; Telangana agent held in forged degree case
A 28-year-old student from Telangana was deported from the US for using fake educational certificates to secure a student visa. The student was arrested at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad, on June 1, 2025, upon his return to India.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Based on his confession, the police also arrested the managing director of an overseas education consultancy involved in preparing the forged documents.
The student, Pakiru Gopal Reddy from Parepalligudem in Nalgonda district, travelled to the US on September 28, 2023. He had obtained a visa using counterfeit BSc Computers certificates purportedly issued by Madurai Kamaraj University. He was pursuing his master's degree at Webster University, Missouri, when he was deported.
Fake visa documents lead to deportation
Reddy stayed in the US for 15 months initially and returned to India briefly in 2024 for personal reasons. He then went back to the US in May 2025 but was deported from Dallas airport due to an inactive Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) status, as stated by V Sreekanth Goud, Assistant Commissioner of Police at RGIA, as reported by the TNN.
When questioned by immigration officials upon his arrival at Hyderabad, Reddy admitted that one Katoju Ashok, managing director of Sri Dhanalakshmi Overseas Private Limited in Vanasthalipuram, had arranged the forged certificates for him.
Reddy was handed over to RGIA police immediately on June 1.
Managing director arrested, forged documents seized
Following Reddy's confession, the police arrested Ashok on June 2. Ashok reportedly admitted to supplying fake degree certificates to at least 15 students since 2020, charging between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1 lakh each, the TNN reported.
A search operation at Ashok's office led to the seizure of 150 forged mark sheets, provisional certificates, and recommendation letters bearing the names of Madurai Kamaraj University and Osmania University.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Police also recovered company stamps, four mobile phones, and Rs 10 lakh in cash from his possession.
Ongoing investigation to trace others involved
Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify other students who may have used similar fake documents to secure visas and travel abroad. The police suspect that more individuals could be connected to this forged certificate racket. As reported by the TNN, Ashok confessed to running this operation since 2020, indicating a wider network that facilitated the fraudulent activities.
This incident has raised concerns over the verification processes for student visas and the role of unscrupulous education consultancies. With rising cases of fake documents, officials are likely to tighten controls to prevent such fraud in the future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
15 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Two major road projects approved to decongest Delhi-NCR region
To decongest Delhi and the national capital region, the construction of two mega highways has been approved in a meeting recently held between Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, costing around Rs 10,000 crore. A new 17-kilometer-long highway connecting Urban Extension Road II (UER 2) to the Delhi-Dehradun expressway near Tronica City has been approved. After completion, this project will reduce traffic load on inner roads, easing pressure on National Highway-48, National Highway-44, Ring Roads and the Barapullah elevated corridor. The estimated construction cost of the project is Rs 3,300 crore. According to officials, connecting UER 2 to the Delhi-Dehradun, which starts near Akshardham temple, will provide faster connectivity to traffic generated from Haryana and Rajasthan, which is destined to move towards Dehradun. "Currently bids that have been received for hiring a consultant are under evaluation and the work to prepare a detailed project report is likely to be awarded by mid-June this year," according to a government document. Another project for the construction of a 65 km long highway from Tronica City connecting to the under-construction FaridabadNoidaGhaziabad Expressway, or FNG Expressway, has been approved. As per the plan, this highway will connect five major roadsDelhi-Dehradun Expressway, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, DND-Faridabad Highway, and Yamuna Expresswayall together around NCR. "The highway will provide connectivity to NCR towns such as Loni, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Noida and Faridabad with North and Southwest Delhi. It will help in decongesting internal roads and city centres like the Sarai Kale Khan section and Kalindi Kunj, providing an alternative for intercity and freight traffic," the document said. A tender has been floated for hiring a consultant to prepare a DPR for this project, the estimated cost of construction is Rs 7,500 crore. "A total of 1.25 lakh crore work decongestion projects has been initiated by the centre in Delhi. The projects will be executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at its own cost with the support of PWD," CM Gupta had said after the high-level meeting. The NHAI is also utilizing a large amount of inert waste recovered through biomining of legacy waste accumulated at Delhi's landfill sites. To date, approximately 10 lakh metric tons of inert material have been utilized in the construction of the UER 2 project.
Hans India
18 minutes ago
- Hans India
Mumbra railway accident: Maha CM orders probe, announces compensation of Rs 5 lakh to kin of deceased
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, ordered an inquiry into the Mumbai local train accident in which at least four persons died and nine others were injured after they fell on the railway track. He has also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the four deceased persons. Besides, the injured victims will also be provided a compensation ranging between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. The state government sources said that the injured will be provided free treatment as the expenses will be borne by the government. The State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan confirmed that a high level probe is underway to find out how the accident took place. He said that two passengers due to serious injuries have been sent to the Jupiter hospital in Thane. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray raked up the demand for a separate corporation for Mumbai railways made for many years, saying that so far no government has paid attention to it. "The railway accident that happened in Mumbai today is unfortunate. Many passengers lost their lives in this accident, but such incidents are happening daily in Mumbai. Every day, passengers in Mumbai are getting injured, and yet, no one seems to care. Today, urban planning is completely in disarray. Huge crowds are pouring in. Big roads, bridges, and metros are being built for them. High-rise buildings are being permitted, but there is no planning for parking. Every city faces a serious traffic problem. Building new roads and metros makes no difference, yet no government thinks about urban planning or the influx of people from outside," he said. He also added: "All our focus is only on elections and campaigns. Will Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray form an alliance? More important than this question are the questions of how travel is happening in Mumbai today, how people are living in cities and across the state in general. Will the media raise these questions? Will they demand answers from the government? Who forms an alliance with whom, who said what -- these things are truly trivial in front of these serious issues." "Are we going to turn our attention to the people's problems?" he asked. "I myself have travelled by Mumbai's railways for a long time. But back then, the situation was somewhat better. Now, seeing the crowds at railway stations is terrifying. These MPs, MLAs, and Ministers go abroad -- do they learn anything from there? If such an incident happened abroad, how would it have been handled there? Here, however, there is nothing. Here, human life has no value," he commented. Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray said, "While standing at the door of a local train heading towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus between Diva and Mumbra stations, some passengers were tragically killed after being struck by an express train coming from the opposite direction; this incident is deeply heartbreaking. Heartfelt tributes to the passengers who lost their lives."
Hans India
19 minutes ago
- Hans India
Senior Civil Servant Arrested In Odisha For Accepting Rs 10 Lakh Bribe, Additional Rs 47 Lakh Found At Residence
The Odisha Vigilance Department apprehended Dhiman Chakma, a 2021-batch Indian Administrative Service officer serving as Sub-Collector in Kalahandi district, on Sunday for allegedly receiving a Rs 10 lakh bribe payment. The arrest occurred as part of a larger Rs 20 lakh extortion scheme targeting a local business owner. The complainant businessman reported that Chakma had demanded the substantial sum under threat of taking punitive action against his commercial operations. According to the filed complaint, the civil servant summoned the businessman to his official government quarters in Dharamgarh to collect the illicit payment. Anti-corruption officials detailed how the mid-30s officer received the bribe money and secured it within a table drawer at his residence. The vigilance team observed Chakma methodically counting 26 bundles of Rs 100 denomination notes before storing the cash in his office table drawer. "The officer called the complainant to his official government residence at Dharamgarh, received the bribe amount and kept the same inside his table drawer," the vigilance department stated, as reported by PTI news agency. During subsequent searches of Chakma's official residence, investigators discovered approximately Rs 47 lakh in additional cash, significantly expanding the scope of the corruption investigation. The substantial amount found during the raid suggests a pattern of corrupt practices beyond the immediate bribery incident. Authorities have formally charged the IAS officer under applicable provisions of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, following his arrest and the cash seizure from his government accommodation. The legislation provides enhanced penalties for public servants found guilty of accepting bribes or engaging in corrupt practices. The case highlights ongoing challenges with corruption among India's civil service ranks, particularly involving relatively junior officers who hold significant administrative power at the district level. Sub-Collectors typically oversee revenue administration, land records, and various licensing functions that directly impact local businesses. Officials confirmed that comprehensive investigations against Chakma are continuing, suggesting authorities are examining whether additional victims or corrupt transactions may be involved. The vigilance department's successful operation demonstrates active monitoring of potential corruption cases within the state administration.
