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Indian student's controversial firearm video triggers deportation calls, F-1 visa row: ‘He is an enemy of…’
Akhilesh Chetla Ravi, an Indian student in the US, faces backlash after a video of him with a handgun surfaced.
A viral video featuring an Indian student in the US handling a handgun has ignited controversy, with several social media users calling for his deportation.
The footage depicts Akhilesh Chetla Ravi inside a convenience store or gas station. In the brief clip, he is seen holding a handgun while background radio chatter references “shots fired”. The video was initially linked to his Snapchat account before it gained widespread attention across various social media platforms. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of the viral video or the firearm flashed in the clip.
Is Akhilesh Chetla Ravi on F-1 visa?
According to the clips disseminating on social media, Ravi was in the US on an F-1 student visa and had been unlawfully employed off campus at the store depicted in the video.
F-1 students are subject to stringent restrictions regarding employment outside their educational institution and are prohibited from engaging in unauthorized work, as per US visa regulations.
The viral posts also raised concerns about the legality of his firearm possession. Some users contended that the incident could entail breaches of both immigration and firearm laws.
Social media reacts
Reacting to the video, US attorney Andrew Branca Show said, “He's also handling that firearm in a criminally reckless manner.”
“If the reports are accurate, that’s a serious situation. Displaying a firearm publicly can raise legal issues, especially if the person is on a student visa,” another commented.
“@grok Are immigrants in the US on a student visa allowed to buy or own firearms?” a third user asked.
“Social media isn’t a safe place to flaunt weapons or illegal activity. This could have serious legal consequences for him,” one more stated.
“Deport him. He is an enemy of the people,” a fifth person said.
Several users have tagged U.S. agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and officials from the State Department, while seeking a probe. Numerous posts called for action, with some users stating that "He must be deported".
Who is Akhilesh Chetla Ravi?
Ravi hails from India and completed his degree in Management Information Systems at Hood College in Maryland in May 2025. His name is included in the official commencement program of the college among those receiving graduate degrees.
As per his LinkedIn profile, Ravi has been employed as a software developer at JPMorgan Chase since September 2025. The profile also highlights his previous positions as a data engineer at Bayer and Capgemini, in addition to earlier work with BYJU'S.
His Instagram account, which was formerly public under the username @akhilesh.ch_98, was changed to private soon after the video gained widespread attention.
This incident ignited a renewed discussion regarding immigration enforcement and gun regulations for non-citizens in the United States, especially concerning students holding F-1 visas.
