Mr.David Hopper, the U.S. Consulate General gave an assurance on Thursday evening that there would not be a blanket ban on the Members of the Film Industry in Southern Region and legitimate travel of them to U.S. would continue to be permitted. The assurance came in the wake of fears that there could be a ban on them following the detection of a U.S. Visa Scam involving the Members of South India Film Industry during the beginning of this week.
According to him the Scam was not confined only to Chennai but ran acroos the entire Southern Region,but, this would not in any way hamper their policy of encouraging technical and artistic colloboration between Indian Filmmakers and their counterparts in the U.S.A.
The roots of the Scam was traced in May 2007 when as many as 200 applicants had sought B1(Business) Visas for which each appplicant is believed to have paid about Rs.5/-Lacs for not only preparation of false documents but also in getting trained to give false but convincing reasons about the purpose of their visits. Out of this 200, about 100 Members of the Film Indusry knowlingly lent their credibility to the fraudulent applicanst by lying their association with them. Though legal restrictions bar the U.S. Conuslate to reveal their names in public they cannot escape the consequences of their illegal acts. All of them, whetehr applicants, Film Industry Personalities or Visa brokers, would be slapped with lifetime bans from obtaining U.S.Visas or travelling to U.S.
The Visas of such persons who are currently in India have been revoked and theri names handed over to the Commissioner of Police. Those who are still in U.S. would face the prospect of being deported back to the Country.
The unearthing of the Scam has come as a major blow to the Southern Film Fraternity. Mr.Sarathkumar, President of South India Film Artists Association termed it as a definite setback to the reputation of the Industry and added that if the Association was informedof the names, they would be debarred from the Membership of the Association.
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