Hyderabad: A few Indians are landing up in trouble for crimes in the United States, affecting the credibility of the whole community. While some face minor charges like traffic violations, littering and misdemeanour, others are booked for serious crimes like theft, immigration fraud, cybercrimes, physical assault and even murder.
Recently, Kiran Raparthi, a Telugu man, was arrested by the Houston Texas police for shoplifting $563 worth sunglasses from an outlet in Houston. Police arrested him and booked him to Harris County Jail.
Students Kishan Rajeshkumar Patel and Rajeshbhai Mangukiya ran an elaborate phishing scams and stole $2.7 million from more than 25 people. In another similar incident, another student Moinuddin Mohammed stole nearly $6 million from people through online phishing scams.
In March 2025, Saritha Ramaraju, a 48-year-old Indian-origin woman brutally killed her 11 year old son in a hotel in California. After getting custodial visitation of her son, she took him to a three-day visit to Disneyland and killed him. She was arrested, and is facing 26 years to lifetime imprisonment.
Indian students and immigrants abroad say such crimes add a lot of pressure and unnecessary blame on them. K. Dinesh, a student from Hyderabad who is now pursuing his master’s degree in Chicago, said: “Even though I have nothing to do with these crimes, we all get blamed. The moment we tell people we are from India, we get stares.”
“About a month ago, my roommate was questioned by the police because someone called the police saying my friend was seen hanging around near a convenience store for too long. He didn’t steal anything, neither did he attempt to. But, people assume we are here to create trouble, and it is painful”, Dinesh added.
Sumeet Kumar, a Hyderabad-based IT-employee at a major corporation in Dallas, said “Sometimes, the judgment is subtle. For instance, my former employers cross-verified my documents four times before offering a job, and upon asking, they said that a previous Indian employee joined with fake certificates. But many times, the judgment is forthright. But, the scrutiny is almost always there.”
This behaviour is not just limited to the United States. Indian students, workers and immigrants who move all across the world face bias.
Santosh Reddy, a Kadapa-based worker in Australia’s Sydney, said “Recently, a few Indian students were caught shoplifting, and now all of us are seen with suspicion. They call us names, give us looks and treat us differently.”
Consultancy officers, who help students with admissions and visas, also raised concerns. Rajeshwar Rao, who runs a consultancy service in Hyderabad, said “We seriously warn students and people who want to settle abroad not to commit any crimes. If anyone gets arrested once, it’s a permanent scar on their careers and lives.”
“A student I sent to the US stole some items in a mall there. He was quickly arrested, and his parents contacted us and begged us to help. Since it was a minor crime, we paid the bail amount and got him released. But the incident was taken seriously by his university, and he was expelled”, Rajeshwar Rao said.
As countries increase background checks and paperwork, consultants, embassies and even authorities are warning immigrants not to commit crimes. While the mistake might seem small and insignificant, the repercussions of the mistake will cast a shadow over the dreams of many other aspirants
