200 South Indian film persons to be deported from US, face charges. Actor Asha Saini arrested
The great fake visa racket involving South Indian film personalities came to light when Telugu and Tamil actor Asha Saini nee Flora Saini tried to take one Srilatha as her make-up woman to the US with fake papers. The matter was reported to the police by the consulate officials and the actor was arrested along with her manager Venkat Reddy and Srilatha. In the wake of the arrests, U.S. Consulate-General in Chennai David Hopper disclosed that the racket involving South Indian film personalities transporting people to the U.S.A with false documents was first unearthed in May 2007.

It is a common thing that film personalities visit U.S.A for cultural programmes and for shootings. And some of them for either monetary or other gains transport people with fake documents as film technicians or their assistants. Hopper said that about 200 such people face deportation from the U.S. and they will never be able to go to the U.S. again. The list has already been handed over to the Chennai Police Commissioner Nanjil Manoharan and it is under investigation. But he refused to disclose the names at this stage. Some top names from the Telugu and Tamil film industries are said to be involved in the scam with most of them from Hyderabad. It is said that to get fake visas agents charge anywhere between 3 to 5 lakh rupees. The matter is still under investigation whether these film personalities are merely lent their names or are doing this for monetary gains and how much money is in circulation in the shady deals.

Asha Saini, it is said, was taking Srilatha along with her at the invitation of a Telugu cultural association in U.S. during the visa interview. But when questioned, Srilatha said that she is going to U.S. for livelihood and if she couldn’t find a footing there she plans to move to Canada. The contradiction in their statements brought them to book. Interestingly Asha is the daughter of an Army Colonel.

Katragadda Prasad, Hon. Secretary South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) said that some consulates in Chennai ask for a verification certificate from SIFCC. That facilitates issuing visas for genuine film personalities to visit for shooting or shows. But U.S. he said has no such arrangement with the apex body of South Indian Cinema. If the case against such members is proved, he said, they will have to forfeit their membership from their respective associations. R Sarath Kumar, President South Indian Artistes’ Association said it is a great embarrassment for the film industry in general and once the police or the U.S. Consulate releases the list of such fake visa holders among their members, they will be debarred from the Association.