US varsity shutdown: India seeks report on students

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) India has sought a report fromits missions in the US into the reports of several Indianstudents being affected after a California-based Universitywas shut down by authorities on charges of illegalimmigration.

"We have asked for a report from our Embassy and from ourConsulate General and when a report is issued, we will betaking it up with the government of the US," External AffairsMinister S M Krishna told reporters here today.

He said, meanwhile, the missions have been instructedthat the welfare of the students will have to be looked intoby them.

However, the minister said it was "strange" that theaffected students have not approached the Indian Consulate sofar.

Duped by the authorities of Tri-Valley University, whichhas now been shut down, hundreds of Indian students, mostlyfrom Andhra Pradesh, faced the threat of being deported backhome after having lost their student visa status.

"Any activity involving visa fraud would obviously be ofgreat concern to us. The investigation of that is done by lawenforcement, obviously with our cooperation, since we are theones who issue visas," State Department spokesman P J Crowleytold reporters at his daily news conference in Washington.

According to a federal complaint filed in a Californiacourt last week, the University helped foreign nationalsillegally acquire immigration status.

The university is said to have 1,555 students, of which95 per cent are Indian nationals, the complaint said.