British national has been working in India for 20 years, sans visa

Jyoti Dandekar (59) was working with the Pune University and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University for years without a valid visa, Subroto Roy reports

Jyoti Dandekar (59) was working with the Pune University and Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University for years without a valid visa, Subroto Roy reports

According to the documents with the State Home Department, official version of the staff and vice chancellor of Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University (BVU), a British national has been violating the Indian visa laws for 20 years now.



Jyoti Dandekar, a 59-year-old British national of Indian origin, was employed by the University of Pune (UoP) as the co-ordinator of the International Student's Centre and has been living in the city for around 20-years without an Indian citizenship. She was also working with the BVU as a consultant till November last year.

However, as her stay in the country was illegal, the state government, on directives of the home department, asked her to resign from her job in November 2008. Acting upon the orders, Dandekar resigned from BVU on December 8, 2008.

However, Vaibhav Dhamal, personal assistant to Shivajirao Kadam, the vice chancellor of BVU, told this reporter that she's still with the institute. But after realising the seriousness of the matter, he said, "You must ask the registrar, as he has the authority to speak on it."

When this reporter contacted Kadam, he said that Dandekar is not associated with the institute anymore, but was working as a consultant. "She's getting her papers regularised, but we have accepted her resignation," saidu00a0 Kadam.

According to the security personnel and the administrative staff of BVU, Dandekar is still working with the institute and sits in her office on the first floor. Exclusive video recordings of her in office are with MiD DAY.

When asked whether a person having X visa can work in India, Ravindra Sengaonkar, deputy commissioner of Pune police, special branch, said, "People with X visa are considered to be dependent on an Indian citizen and cannot be employed."

Notably, Dandekar was also in the news for being issued a ration card in 1972, which as per her mother's admission, has gone missing.