New Delhi: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has registered an FIR against several visa and passport agents, primarily operating from Punjab and Haryana, following a complaint from the US Embassy, according to an official statement. The case was filed on 27 February.

US Embassy alleges fraudulent activities

In the complaint, a representative of the US Embassy in New Delhi highlighted fraudulent activities by visa agents. The complaint stated that these agents, both known and unknown, were involved in submitting false information in US visa applications and providing fake documents to applicants. The agents allegedly attempted to deceive the US Embassy and the US government to obtain visas through fraudulent means.

The complaint further stated, "During the period from May to August 2024, our office conducted relevant investigations and compiled a comprehensive list of individuals linked to multiple IP addresses, suspected to be associated with visa consultants, document vendors (educational certificates, bank documents, and employment certificates), passport delivery addresses, and education consultants."

According to the statement, the US Embassy has named more than 30 visa and passport agents, along with passengers who allegedly tried to obtain US visas using fake documents. Specific cases were also highlighted where applicants submitted fraudulent papers.

Case registered under multiple sections

A case has been registered under Sections 318, 336, and 340 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. The Delhi Police Crime Branch is now investigating the matter, the statement added.

Judge blocks deportation of Indian academic from US

A federal judge has blocked the deportation of Indian academic Badar Khan Suri, who was detained by US immigration authorities after his student visa was revoked.

Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, accepting an appeal on his behalf, ruled on Thursday that Suri, currently held in a detention facility in Louisiana, cannot be deported without a court order.

Academic background and arrest

Suri holds a PhD from Jamia Millia University in New Delhi and was working as a post-doctoral fellow at Georgetown University in Washington. He was teaching a course titled “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.”

According to his lawyer, Homeland Security agents wearing masks arrested him outside his home in Arlington's Rosslyn neighbourhood in Virginia on Monday night. He was initially taken to a detention centre in Farmville, Virginia, before being transferred to Louisiana. His lawyers have requested that he be moved to a facility closer to his home while the case proceeds.

Accusations 

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused Suri of disseminating "Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media." She further claimed that he "has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas"—a reference to his father-in-law, Ahmed Yousef.

However, Suri’s lawyer argued in the court filing that his client was being targeted solely due to his "family ties to those who may have either expressed criticism of US foreign policy as it relates to Israel."

University’s response

Georgetown University responded to Suri’s detention, stating, “We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention.”

According to a university website, Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is pursuing a master’s degree in Arab Studies. She has previously worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza and contributed to Middle East Monitor, Al Jazeera, and Palestinian media outlets.

Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists

Suri is the second Indian academic to be affected by President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at US universities. Earlier this month, Ranjani Srinivasan, a PhD student at Columbia University, fled to Canada after immigration officers informed her that her student visa had been cancelled.

The US government has invoked a provision of immigration law that allows the Secretary of State to deport non-citizens deemed a threat to the country’s foreign policy. The same law has also been used to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and green card holder who led pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

Suri’s petition argues that he has no criminal record and has not been charged with any crime.

(Agency inputs)