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.

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 deportationReddy 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 seizedFollowing 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.

Police also recovered company stamps, four mobile phones, and Rs 10 lakh in cash from his possession.Ongoing investigation to trace others involvedAuthorities 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.