Want to come back to India for good: Student

HYDERABAD: A student, who came out on bail on Friday after languishing i n “administrative detention” of the federal police for over a week for having enrolled in a fake university in the United States of America, wants to come back to India for good as early as possible.

“Sir, I don’t want to stay here. I want to go back (to) India as early as possible,” was the text message from the student, whom HT contacted through AP Non-resident Telugus’ Association (APNRT) on Saturday.

The student, who hails from Visakhapatnam, but was settled in Hyderabad before going to the US for higher studies, is likely to return to India by next week. “I want to return to India for good, as I am feeling tense here,” he said. The student wished to remain anonymous as the legal formalities to facilitate his return to India were still under process.

There was no clarity as to how many students were released from the detention. While Telugu Association of North America told a vernacular channel that as many as 40 students had obtained bail, APNRT spokesman Sagar Doddapaneni said only two students were released as on Friday. “More students would come out shortly,” he said.

About 600 foreign students, most of them Indians, enrolled with the fake University of Farmington floated by the US authorities under a sting operation.

The US federal police on January 31 arrested eight students who had worked as recruiters for the fake university by collecting $20,000 from each student. Of those who had enrolled with the university, the police had detained as many as 130 students, including 129 from Telugu states.

The detained students are now being let off on bail, thanks to legal assistance being provided by Telugu NRI associations with support of the Indian Embassy and Indian consulate in Houston. The eight student recruiters were provided attorneys.

Asked whether the detained students were subjected to interrogation by the police, the Hyderabad-based student said they had been treated well in the detention center. “No complaints,” he said, without elaborating further.

Doddapaneni said the APNRT was extending all possible help to the students to complete the legal process so that they could return home. Regarding the eight student recruiters, he said, they might have to face punishment if proven guilty during the trial.