Fake Indian techie shuts US airport
By Bala Shah

While the majority of Indian tech companies follow approved procedures to secure proper visas for their techies to work in USA, it is an open secret that some unscrupulous Indian firms are exploiting the system as well as their Indian employees.  A recent US Government report found as many as 25 percent of all Indian H-1B visas had some misrepresentation or fraud.

The American Centre for Immigration Studies is now reporting how a 36-year old Indian national, Manoj Kargudri made his way to USA on a fraudulent Honeywell, India working visa in 2005.  Manoj Kargudri was arrested in August, 2008 at an American airport after a standard check by security found box cutters and a homemade battery for his MP3 player.  As Manoj only had a one way ticket to Washington, American police arrested him as a terror suspect.  The police were so concerned that they shutdown the entire airport as they suspected Manoj of being part of a terror attack like 9/11

On September 9, 2008,   Manoj was produced before a US Court for visa and immigration fraud.

During interrogation, Manoj revealed that was on an L-1 Visa granted to him based on his false representations of working with tech company Honeywell, India.  But Manoj had never worked for Honeywell in India.  Honeywell International had applied to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for a number of L-1 visas for “unnamed workers”.  Many large American tech firms have the flexibility of asking for such visas from their Government.

Little did Honeywell India know that some of their employees had sold official documents to at least 10 other people to pose as Honeywell employees to go to USA on tech visas.  Essentially, L-1 visas allow employees of one country to go and work for the same employer in another country. 

American Government and Honeywell,  India investigations have shown that such Honeywell visa documentation was being sold for $3000 a visa.

Quiet separately to Manoj being arrested as a possible terrorist and jailed,  Indian police had picked up the scam to get such fake visas posing as techies.  So,  it was just a question of time before Manoj was arrested on visa fraud.  Carrying box cutters and homemade battery in an airplane ensured a quicker arrest.  And then police linked him to visa fraud as well.

American police have cleared Manoj of any terror connections.  But he would never be allowed back into the country again.  The American Consulate in India is also closely checking every such L-1 visa.