VIJAYAWADA: A student from Labbipet in Vijayawada, Prakash (name changed), faced a major setback when his American student visa was cancelled during the police verification process. Though initially sceptical, further investigation revealed that a past criminal case under the Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, in which Prakash was one of the accused, was the reason behind the rejection.
Prakash recalled an incident from 2021 when he and his friends were caught consuming ganja. Although the case had been closed, his criminal record still flagged the incident, leading to the cancellation of his visa. A city-based abroad education consultant explained that criminal histories are thoroughly checked when issuing visas.
This incident is not isolated. Many students, especially those who had completed their graduation and were planning to pursue a master’s degree abroad, have faced similar visa rejections due to past criminal cases, including those under the NDPS Act.
To address this, NTR Commissioner of Police SV Rajasekhar Babu directed the task force and inspectors to raise awareness among the youth. “While there are exceptions for granting student visas, charges under the NDPS Act or involvement in major offences significantly reduce the chances of obtaining a visa or admission to foreign universities,” the Commissioner said.
The police are focusing on establishing new de-addiction centres to help students overcome substance abuse. Police are currently referring young people, including students, to two private de-addiction centres and counselling institutions. “Filing charges can have a severe impact on a student’s career prospects, so they are being directed to counselling and rehabilitation services. However, strict action will be taken against those who do not show repentance or reform,” warned Commissioner Babu.