Christian group condemns radio-tagging of Indian students in US

A Christian advocacy group has strongly condemned the radio-tagging of Indian students in the United States in the wake of an immigration scam involving a university.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) termed the radio-tagging of students as "inhuman" and demanded the US government to initiate severe action against officials responsible for the act.

Hundreds of Indian students at the Tri-Valley University (TVU) in San Francisco were radio-tagged as part of electronic surveillance by US immigration authorities.

The students, mostly from Andhra Pradesh, face the prospect of deportation after the university was shut down on charges of massive immigration fraud.

"The radio collars should immediately be removed, the rights and dignity of the students be preserved as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the Bangalore-based GCIC said in a statement.

The GCIC demanded the Indian government to provide suitable assistance to the affected students so those who wish to return to India will be allowed to do so.

A majority of the Indian students at the university had transferred from other US universities and approximately 100 students had obtained visas from US mission in India and many students in the US as dependents of their spouses, had enrolled in the University after taking the required authorization.

"We have conveyed to the US authorities that the students, most of who are victims themselves, must be treated fairly and reasonably, and that the use of monitors on a group of students, who were detained and later released with monitors in accordance with US laws, is unwarranted and should be removed," Vishnu Prakash spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The students meanwhile have sent a petition to the US Homeland Security department and immigration claiming they were not offenders as they were duped by the university.

The Tri-Valley University has been charged by federal investigating authorities with being part of an effort to defraud, misuse visa permits and indulge in money laundering and other crimes.