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Indian man's US visa battle over perfume label mix-up: Opium the scent, not...
Kapil Raghu, an Indian national married to an American woman named Ashley Mays and currently residing in Arkansas, was reportedly detained back in May.
Not the new H-1B visa fee hike or the Trump administration's social media vetting rules or any illegal activity, but a perfume label confusion has led to an Indian national fighting a visa battle in the United States, and facing deportation.
Kapil Raghu, an Indian national married to an American woman named Ashley Mays and currently residing in Arkansas, was reportedly detained back in May and his work visa was subsequently revoked, all because of a simple confusion: Opium the scent, not opium the drug.
According to the Guardian, Kapil was pulled up by cops over a non-moving traffic violation on May 3. Upon inspection of his vehicle, they found a perfume bottle labelled 'Opium', and arrested him for possessing narcotics. Kapil was arrested even as he clarified that the word 'Opium' on the small bottle referred to the perfume scent.
According to Raghu, he was stopped by the cops when he was on his way to deliver food. “I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations,” he was quoted as saying by the Saline Courier. “I’m confused on why he’s going to jail," Ashley said.
Kapil is an Indian national whose father and uncle have recently retired after serving as police officers in India, according to the publication. He married Ashley in April and she has travelled to India with him to meet his family.
During a chat with the Saline Courier, Ashely was all praises for Kapil's family, saying they treated her like a "golden gem in their life". "He (Kapil) cooks for anyone who comes into our home, just like his family does in India. That’s the kind of man he is.”
The mix-up was resolved after the Arkansas State Crime Lab found out that the substance inside the bottle was indeed perfume, and not opium the drug. Even so, he spent three days in custody because authorities found that his visa had expired.
Kapil still faces hurdles in restoring his visa, potentially jeopardizing his chances of securing permanent US residency. Besides, there is now a ‘deportation’ status attached to him, which means he could be deported over a small offence too. “But, more crucially, this classification bars him from working and earning money for his family, which has been devastating for them," explained his attorney Mike Laux explained.
