SM Krishna assures all help to duped Tri-Valley University students

New York, Feb 13: Assuring all help to the duped students of California-based Tri-Valley University (TVU), External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has said that the government through its Embassy in Washington and consulates in America has been working closely with students, who have unfortunately got caught in the scam.

"I must tell you, at the outset that we have been in touch with all the concerned authorities in the United States. We have been assured that the students will be dealt with fairness and not just legalistically," said Krishna.

"The options that the US Government is considering is to allow the students on a case by case basis to leave the US voluntarily without prejudice or to allow them to transfer to other Universities or reinstate their Visas status if they were already enrolled in legitimate Universities which are prepared to take them back," he added.

The External Affairs Minister further said: "We have had prolonged discussions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. We are providing them free legal assistance to interact with ICE and learn their rights and resolve their issues."

"You will be happy to know that radio tagging has been removed from some students and other cases are being actively pursued. I want to assure that we will spare no effort with the US authorities to get our students fair and humanitarian outcome," he added.

Earlier, radio tags of two Indian students of the university were removed just ahead of Krishna's arrival in the US.

Krishna had earlier said that the US decision of making some students wear radio collars around their ankles was unacceptable.

The radio collars electronically monitor their movement and ensure that they do not go underground or missing.

About 1,500 Indian students of TVU, majority of them from Andhra Pradesh, face deportation after the university was raided and shut down by the US Government on charges of selling student visas.

ANI