30 Student OF Andhara and Telegana returns from US

At least 30 students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have returned from the US. They were those who were not detained or served notices by the US authorities in the “pay-to-stay” scam, according to Telugu organizations.

These students returned out of fear and due to family pressure. They were not part of the 600 detained or trapped by the US Homeland Security through the fake university scam. This is the first batch to leave the country before the February 5 deadline for immigrants who were staying illegally in the US.

About 600 foreign students, 90 percent of them Indians, had enrolled themselves with a fake University of Farmington floated by the US authorities under a sting operation. More than 80 percent of these students were from the two Telugu states.

While eight students, who worked as recruiters, were arrested, 129 were kept under administrative detention at different places.

A senior officer with the ministry of external affairs told this newspaper, “Students whose visas are still active have been advised by the Indian Embassy to remain in the US and the required consular help has been provided.”

Ravikumar P. Vemuru, President of APNRT Society, had earlier said that since there was no clear-cut intention by the students to defraud the US government, the maximum punishment they could undergo was deportation.