- X account CyberGreen09 posted on July 30 accusing Sadhana Gollapudi of being a 'forever F1 student' since 2014 and of visa fraud.
- The post quickly spread widely on X, with thousands reposting it without verification.
- US Attorney Aaron Reitz responded on August 4, confirming that Gollapudi is a naturalized US citizen and not on a student visa.
- On August 6, Gollapudi posted on Instagram, calling the claims false and asking followers to report misinformation.
- The Indian American Advocacy Council criticized Reitz for not condemning the smear and for ranting about 'illegal aliens'.
US Attorney Aaron Reitz confirmed that Sadhana Gollapudi, a Kuchipudi dancer and biomedical engineer from Houston, is a naturalized citizen, countering allegations of visa fraud made on X. The accusations claimed she was a 'forever F1 student' since 2014, suggesting she violated visa norms by working while studying.13
The controversy began when an account named 'CyberGreen09' posted on July 30, accusing Gollapudi of being a 'forever F1 student' and violating her visa by working as a dancer and tutor. The post quickly gained traction, leading to widespread misinformation.
In response, Reitz stated, “Thanks for flagging. My office looked. She's a naturalized US citizen, not here on student visa.” He emphasized the seriousness of visa fraud, asserting that “Neither illegal aliens nor those who obtain legal status illegally are welcome on American soil.”
Gollapudi, who has over 4,000 followers on social media, expressed her distress over the false claims, stating, “The past few days have been incredibly difficult and upsetting for me and my loved ones.” She urged users to report the misinformation.
The Indian American Advocacy Council criticized the original post and the handling of the situation by Reitz, stating, “An American woman was filmed, named and falsely branded a ‘visa fraudster’ before millions.” The backlash against the CyberGreen account led to its privatization, highlighting the dangers of misinformation on social media.5
Gollapudi is currently pursuing her PhD in biomedical engineering in Houston.
“The viral post, from an account that appears to be a fan page for Pakistani actor Hamza Sohail, was made private after backlash. Gollapudi, who has over 4,000 followers, called the claims 'false and misleading' and asked supporters to report the posts for misinformation.”
