Indian-Origin Man in Arkansas Faces Deportation After Wrongful Arrest Over Designer Perfume
An Indian-origin man living in the United States is battling to remain in the country after a wrongful arrest led to the revocation of his visa and placed him under deportation status. Kapil Raghu, who resides in Arkansas and is married to an American citizen, was detained earlier this year when police mistook his bottle of designer perfume labelled “Opium” for an illegal substance.
An Arrest Over a “Misunderstanding”
According to reports, Raghu was pulled over by Benton police on May 3 for a minor traffic violation. During the stop, officers discovered a small bottle marked “Opium” in his car and assumed it contained narcotics. Despite Raghu’s repeated clarifications that it was a Yves Saint Laurent perfume, he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession.
Bodycam footage reportedly captured the officers telling him, “You got a vial of opium that was in your centre console.” Raghu later told The Saline Courier that he fully cooperated and was “bewildered” by the incident.
Subsequent testing by the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that the perfume contained no illegal substances. However, Raghu spent three days in the Saline County Jail, during which immigration officials flagged what they termed a “visa irregularity.”
Charges Dropped but Deportation Status Remains
Although the drug charge was dismissed on May 20, Raghu was transferred to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Louisiana, where he was held for 30 days. During this period, his visa was revoked, leaving him without legal status and unable to work.
Raghu’s lawyer, Mike Laux, told The Guardian that his client now faces deportation and is barred from employment. “He can be immediately deported for any minor offence, even jaywalking,” Laux said, calling the situation “devastating” for Raghu’s family.
In a letter to ICE, Raghu explained that the issue stemmed from an administrative delay by his previous attorney and urged authorities to reinstate his visa. His wife, Alhley Mays, revealed that the ordeal has financially strained the couple, forcing her to work three jobs to cover expenses.
Laux also accused Benton police of violating international law by failing to inform the Indian Consulate, a requirement under the Vienna Convention.
As of now, the US Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the case.