Sham US university blames India-origin staff for fraud
As radio-tagging of scores of Indian students duped by a "sham" US university continues to cause anger back home, the controversial institute has claimed that one of its Indian-origin staff was responsible for the immigration fraud and it was not directly involved in it.
Breaking its silence, the California-based Tri Valley University (TVU), which was shut down last month, termed as 'baseless' the allegations of immigration fraud against the institute and claimed that it had not duped any student.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brought 'this baseless allegation and put a red-tape in the school operation for a federal investigation, causing hundreds of students to withdraw from classes (and) many instructors requested to quit teaching for the current term'.
"Also, it caused a profitable university operation to quickly sink into negative in financial debt," Susan Su, President and founder of the TVU, said in an e-mail to PTI.
"Starting in April, one of student assistants Anji Reddy, who worked in TVU administrative office, teamed with another student Ram Krista Karra, who also has a consultant company, conducting a large cheating scheme by asking students to make tuition payment into Ram Krista Karra's personal account in exchange for student I-20 and CPT approval. TVU has fired these two individuals," the e-mail said.
The complaint against TVU before the ICE was made by these two, Su claimed.
Hundreds of Indian students were facing deportation and their academic career was in limbo due to the closer of the university by the ICE. Many of them were also forced to wear radio collars around their ankles so that US authorities can keep track of their movements.
India has taken up the matter with the State Department and other concerned US officials, asking them to ensure that none of the Indian students is victimised.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna termed the radio-tagging of the students as an 'inhuman act' and demanded severe action against those responsible.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has, however, said ankle monitors are used across the US as part of a standard procedure for a variety of investigation and that this does not necessarily imply guilt or suspicion of criminal activity.
The US has taken very seriously the alleged immigration scam of Tri Valley University in California, which has mainly affected Indian students, he told reporters yesterday.
"We take these allegations of immigration and visa fraud very seriously. These allegations are an excellent example of the universally damaging effects of visa fraud," he said.
Post new comment