Author: Imtiaz Jaleel
Publication: NDTV.com
Date: December 23, 2008
URL: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080077450
The student town of Pune is under police spotlight.
Over a hundred foreign students have been deported to their countries in the
last three months.
These are international students who stayed
in India even after their visas expired. The police intensified this drive
against since the Mumbai terror attacks of November.
They say the focus is on students who have
lived in Pune for many years but have not finished their courses.
"There are number of students who are
failing and extending their stay. We don't know what their motive is. So we
have to be careful about them also," said Satyapal Singh, Commissioner
of Police, Pune.
Pune has the highest number of international
students in the country -- over 22,000.
The police also want educational institutions
to maintain a proper database.
"We have a proper database of all foreign
students and we coordinate with the police also. So all student details are
made available to us, their address, their contact number," said Vidya
Yerawdekar, Director, Symbiosis University.
Most international students here come from
Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and south Asian countries.
Sources say mostly Iranians and students from
the Middle East have been sent back. Foreign students, even those who have
their papers in order, say the police methods are unfair.
"It's unfair that we have to register
with the foreign office and then again here," said a student from Afghanistan.
Some of the Mumbai attackers of 26/11 carried
fake student IDs with them. And this is the reason why Pune Police is being
extra careful.