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PTC Web Desk:  An Indian-origin man in Arkansas is fighting to regain his US visa after a shocking case of mistaken identity led to his arrest and possible deportation, all because of a bottle of perfume.

Kapil Raghu, who was legally living in the United States and married to an American citizen, was pulled over by Benton police on May 3 during a food delivery. Officers reportedly discovered a small bottle labelled “Opium” in his car’s centre console.

Although Raghu explained that it was a designer perfume, the police assumed it was a narcotic substance and arrested him for drug possession. Body camera footage captured officers saying, “You got a vial of opium that was in your centre console.”

Later, lab tests confirmed that the bottle contained only perfume, not drugs. The drug charges were dropped on May 20. However, the arrest led to a more serious issue, immigration authorities flagged Raghu’s visa as expired. According to Raghu, this was due to his former lawyer’s failure to file the necessary paperwork on time.

Raghu spent three days in the Saline County Jail before being moved to an ICE detention centre in Louisiana, where he was held for 30 days. During that period, his visa was revoked, leaving him without legal work authorisation and under threat of deportation.

Raghu’s lawyer, Mike Laux, said his client was now living under constant risk. “Though released, Kapil has deportation status. Even a minor infraction, like jaywalking, could get him deported,” Laux said. He’s also not allowed to work.

Raghu married Alhley Mays in April. She now works three jobs to pay bills and legal expenses. “The savings we had were meant for a house. Now they’re gone,” Mays said, adding that Raghu missed her daughter’s fourth-grade graduation due to his detention. “She sees him as a father. This has been heartbreaking.”

Attorney Laux also claimed that local authorities failed to inform the Indian Consulate after Raghu’s arrest, violating the Vienna Convention, which requires foreign nationals to be given consular access when detained.

Raghu has since written to the ICE legal office, explaining that the visa issue resulted from an administrative error, and has requested that his legal status be restored. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the case.