US Attorney Clears Indian-Origin Engineer Sadhana Gollapudi After Viral Post Falsely Accuses Her of Visa Fraud
An Indian-origin biomedical engineer residing in the United States, Sadhana Gollapudi, became the target of a malicious online smear campaign last week after a social media user falsely accused her of long-term student visa fraud. The viral misinformation, which featured a video of her performing traditional Kuchipudi dance in Houston, Texas, triggered widespread online controversy before swift intervention by federal authorities and a formal clarification from the U.S. Attorney's office cleared her name and confirmed her legal status as an American citizen.
The Viral Social Media Accusation and Harassment
The controversy erupted on July 30 when an account on the social media platform X, operating under the handle '@CyberGreen09', launched a targeted attack against Gollapudi. The post featured footage of Sadhana performing traditional barefoot dancing and maliciously claimed that she had been exploiting the F1 student visa system since 2014, while falsely alleging that she was violating regulations by working unauthorized jobs as a dancer and cashier. Amplified by the hashtag '#visafraud', the post quickly went viral, causing immense personal distress and harassment for Sadhana and her family. Investigators later noted that the originating account—which identified itself in its biography as a fan page for Pakistani actor Hamza Sohail—was hastily set off public view as backlash mounted, with multiple users denouncing it as an anti-India troll profile.
Federal Intervention: Houston US Attorney Confirms Citizenship
As the false allegations gained traction, Houston U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz stepped in on August 4 to address the matter publicly. Responding directly on social media, Reitz announced that federal authorities had investigated the claims and officially cleared Gollapudi's record. "Thank you for flagging this. My office looked into it. She is a naturalized US citizen," Reitz wrote, adding a broader note emphasizing that while visa fraud is prosecuted rigorously, individuals must not be subjected to groundless attacks.
Despite the vindication, the statement drew some critical scrutiny from advocacy groups; the Indian American Advocacy Council criticized the U.S. Attorney's framing, pointing out that an innocent American woman had been wrongfully doxed and defamed before millions, and questioned why the response included tangents on illegal immigration rather than focusing on penalizing the perpetrators of online harassment and defamation.
Sadhana Gollapudi's Public Response and Advocacy Council's Stand
Deeply shaken by the ordeal, Sadhana Gollapudi took to Instagram on August 6 to share an emotional and detailed statement addressing the incident. She revealed that the past several days had been exceptionally difficult and upsetting for both her and her loved ones, noting that her personal creative content had been harvested and reposted across platforms like X without her consent to fabricate misleading narratives. She strongly urged internet users to remain vigilant and actively report malicious accounts spreading misinformation and unauthorized content.
The Indian American Advocacy Council echoed these sentiments, condemning the ease with which private citizens can be targeted, defamed, and harassed online, and calling for stronger accountability measures against coordinated disinformation campaigns.
