- The US seeks to revoke citizenship of 12 individuals, including Indian man Debashis Ghosh
- Ghosh allegedly defrauded investors of $2.5 million before and after naturalisation
- He falsely denied any crime in his 2012 citizenship application and interview
The United States has initiated action in district courts to revoke the naturalised citizenship of 12 individuals, including an Indian man accused of fraud prior to his naturalisation, as per a statement by the US Department of Justice.
Debashis Ghosh, 62, is accused of conspiring to defraud investors of $2.5 million intended for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility, as per the statement.
"Before Debashis Ghosh naturalised, he conspired to defraud investors of $2.5 million intended for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility. After naturalising, Ghosh, a native of India, continued the fraudulent scheme, misrepresenting the location and safekeeping of the investor funding. But in his 2012 naturalisation application and interview, Ghosh claimed that he had never committed a crime or offence for which he had not been arrested," as per the statement.
"The denaturalisation complaint against Ghosh alleges that he is subject to denaturalisation because during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, he committed a crime involving moral turpitude, committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and falsely testified about his crime. Additionally, Ghosh willfully misrepresented the material fact of his crime during his naturalisation proceedings," the statement read.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act of the US Constitution, a naturalised US citizen's citizenship may be revoked, and a certificate of naturalisation cancelled, if the naturalisation was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
"Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalised as United States citizens," the statement quoted Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Blanche added, "The Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system. Those who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalisation process will face the fullest extent of the law."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
