India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), a unit of the country’s Bureau of Immigration, has deported four Russian nationals on suspicion of having violated visa conditions, The Hindu reports.
The Russians, who had arrived in the country on a business visa, were identified by an official as “Alexander and family and Evgeny and family”. He said India’s Central Intelligence Bureau (CIB) had flagged their activities in the southern resort town of Varkala as suspicious.
The Russians partnered with a local businessman to invest in the tourism business, the FRRO said. However, Central agencies found they had repeatedly violated their visa conditions by seeking employment as bakers and tea-makers in hotels and restaurants in the resort locality.
Officers said they had also furnished false data about their provenance and business to the Central government. They suspected the Russians to have used their business visa as a cover for unknown covert activities. However, no concrete evidence has emerged so far.
Based on the findings of the Central agencies, the FRRO issued a notice asking them to leave the country. An official said the Russians left the country by flight to Russia on New Year’s Eve.
India’s central and state agencies have recently stepped up vigil against visa violations, especially against the backdrop of ongoing violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act that are roiling the country.
