Indian researcher at Georgetown University arrested, faces deportation over alleged Hamas links
Indian researcher Badar Khan Suri, a post-doctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has been arrested by US immigration officers and faces deportation over allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and having ties to a suspected terrorist. According to reports, he was taken into custody outside his home in Virginia by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents on Monday night.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated on social media that Suri "was actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media" and had "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas." The US Secretary of State issued a determination on March 15 that Suri’s activities made him deportable under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).
Suri’s lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, has argued that the arrest is politically motivated, linking it to the Palestinian heritage of Suri’s wife, who is a US citizen and a student at Georgetown University. The university issued a statement in support of Suri, asserting that it had not received any evidence of illegal activity and emphasizing the importance of academic freedom and free expression.
Suri, an expert in peace and conflict studies, has been teaching a course on Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia and has previously conducted research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan. He completed his PhD at Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi in 2020.
His case follows that of another Indian student, Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, who recently left the US after her student visa was revoked for participating in pro-Palestine protests. The DHS labeled her a "terrorist sympathizer," stating that her visa was revoked on March 5, and she self-deported on March 11.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reiterated that those who "advocate terrorism and violence" would not be allowed to remain in the US.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
