Subhechcha Ganguly 
In a shocking case of mistaken identity, an Indian man living in the United States was wrongfully arrested after police officers mistook his ‘Opium’ perfume bottle for narcotics. The incident, which occurred in May in Arkansas, has left the man battling not only to clear his name but also to restore his visa status.
What Happened:
According to The Saline Courier, Kapil Raghu, an Indian national working as a pizza delivery driver in Arkansas, was pulled over by police during a routine traffic stop for having a reflective cover over his license plate.
“I was not doing anything wrong when he pulled me over. I was following all regulations,” Raghu told The Saline Courier. “The problem was he didn’t know for what cause he was arresting me.”
During the search of his car, officers found a small bottle labeled ‘Opium’ and immediately assumed it contained the narcotic drug. Despite Raghu’s insistence that it was simply a branded cologne, he was arrested and charged with possession.
The Truth Emerges:
The Arkansas State Crime Lab later tested the bottle and confirmed that it contained only perfume — not opium. By then, however, Raghu had already spent three days in the Saline County Jail.
ICE Detention Follows:
While Raghu was still in jail, immigration authorities discovered that his visitor visa had expired. As a result, he was handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and detained for 30 days at a federal immigration facility in Louisiana.
Raghu’s wife later revealed that the couple had already begun the process of renewing his visa before the arrest took place.
The incident has drawn attention to concerns about racial profiling and the handling of such cases by local authorities in the United States. Raghu is now seeking legal assistance to restore his visa status and resume his life in the US after the ordeal.
