TVU case: Rao to meet Hillary at Foggy Bottom

India on Tuesday asked the United States to take steps to address the plight of hundreds of Indian students of California-based Tri-Valley University, which was shut down after a major visa scam.

Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar sent details of the affected students to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Following the telephonic conversation between the External Affairs Minister of India and the US Secretary of State on February 13, the Indian Ambassador on Tuesday conveyed to the Secretary of State details on the issue of the Indian students at Tri-Valley University," Indian Embassy spokesman Virender Paul said in a statement.

Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao along with Shankar are expected to meet Clinton at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department later in the day.

The two Indian diplomats are likely to follow up on fate of Tri-Valley University students during the meeting with Clinton, which

was primarily scheduled as a preparatory meeting for Clinton's visit to India in April.

According to a federal complaint filed in a California court in January, the TVU had helped foreign nationals illegally acquire immigration status. The university is said to have 1,555 students.

As many as 95 per cent of these students are Indian nationals, the complaint said.

Investigations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have found that while students were admitted to various residential and on-line courses of the university and on paper lived in California, but in reality they "illegally" worked in various parts of the country as far as Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas.

ICE has called it as a "Sham University", a charge denied by the TVU. According to available information, 18 students in California were radio-tagged by ICE as part of their investigation against Tri-Valley University. Radio-tags on two students were removed last week.