As the situation regarding Indian native and former Jamia Millia Islamia student Badar Khan Suri remains uncertain, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday emphasized that Indian nationals living abroad are expected to adhere to the laws and regulations of their host countries.
Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow from India enrolled in a U.S. institution, has been detained by the country’s immigration authorities following reports of his involvement in Palestine solidarity protests.
Badar Khan Suri, enrolled as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained by immigration authorities outside his home in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, on Monday night, according to various reports.
The arrest occurred the same night that Israel broke the ceasefire, resuming the genocidal war on Gaza, executing hundreds in the horrific massacre during the holy month of Ramadan.
A former student of Jamia Millia Islamia, Suri is known to be a determined yet shy person among his friends.
Maktoob spoke to friends and classmates of Badar Khan Suri to learn more about him and how his journey led him to the United States. Suri, who used to live in Delhi’s Batla House, grew up and spent more than half his life there.
Amir Khan, a neighbor and classmate of Suri at Jamia, told Maktoob that Suri is a kind and shy person who married a Palestinian woman, Mapheze Ahmad Saleh, a U.S. citizen who was primarily raised in Gaza, after they fell in love.
“He met his wife, who is a Palestinian American, when a delegation from India went to Palestine. She too was part of the delegation. Both fell in love and soon got married,” he said.
“Our children are in desperate need of their father and miss him dearly. They keep asking about him and when he will come back. I cannot bring myself to tell them what has really happened to him, although my eldest child understands he is in some kind of trouble,” Saleh wrote in a petition to the Eastern District Court of Virginia. “I feel completely unsafe and can’t stop looking at the door, terrified that someone else will come and take me and the children away as well.”
Last month, after several right-wing outlets published reports about Khan Suri’s partner Saleh’s family connections in Gaza, posts about her went viral on X. This led to calls from right-wing accounts and publications for her expulsion from Georgetown and deportation. Right-wing figures have consistently targeted Saleh, a vocal Palestinian woman, claiming that her father is a leader of Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement.
When asked about Suri’s whereabouts, Amir Khan said that their lawyer is in touch with Suri’s family and they are trying to get information.
“His parents are tense, but they are proud of Suri and all the hard work he has put into his life,” he added.
Before moving to the United States, Suri, his wife, and children lived in Batla House for 12 years. His parents still reside there.
One of Suri’s closest friends and classmates, who did not want to be named, said that this is a witch hunt against him for merely having a connection through his life partner.
“Suri has always been a studious person. He has always been into academics and, as far as I know, has not been that politically vocal, which is why all these accusations came as a shock,” he said.
The friend said that Suri has always been a different kind of person—responsible and respectful towards others. “He is one of the jolliest people you will meet. He is also shy but very good at academics, which is why he got that opportunity in the U.S. He also used to take care of his children when his wife started working at an embassy in India,” he added.
He further said that his arrest seems like targeted harassment and that it is shameful something like this is happening. “It is absurd that he was attacked, as his wife is Palestinian and an American citizen. Did they think targeting Badar would be easier?” Suri’s friend said, confused and anxious about his friend. He further said that some Indian lobbies are working aggressively to malign his name, and mainstream media has also done the same.
Remembering Suri, his friend said that besides academia, he was passionate about food. “We are praying for his safety. I am in touch with his parents and wife. Despite them being strong, they are concerned,” he added.
However, Suri, who teaches an undergraduate seminar called “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” at the university, reportedly told his students that writing about the suppression of the rights of religious minorities in India made him and many of his friends a target while in the country. “He came to the U.S. in the hope that maybe this would be the land of freedom of speech,” his friend reportedly said. “But I guess he made the wrong call.”
Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU), where Khan Suri is a researcher, condemned the United States for Khan Suri’s detainment.
“A bedrock of American democracy has been our universities and colleges,” the ACMCU wrote in a statement. “Historically, they have promoted free inquiry, debate, and dissent. It is no surprise that the Trump administration views these institutions as a danger and wants to silence them. Critical thinking poses a threat to all authoritarian regimes, including the one in Washington, D.C.”
“Dr. Suri’s unjust arrest by U.S. immigration authorities is not just an attack on one individual, but an assault on the principles of academic freedom, justice, and human dignity. His work in peacebuilding and conflict resolution embodies a dedication to the pursuit of truth. The fact that he now sits behind bars—separated from his family and community—exemplifies the lengths to which oppressive forces will go to silence voices of integrity and conscience,” Georgetown Muslim Student Association said in a statement.
Meanwhile, MEA has denied that the families of Suri and Ranjani Srinivasan, a U.S.-based Indian scholar who sought refuge in Canada after her visa was revoked, approached Indian missions in the U.S. for assistance.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, addressed the situation during the weekly media briefing, noting that neither Srinivasan nor Suri had approached Indian missions in the U.S. for assistance.
“We are not aware of her contacting the consulate or our embassy for any help. We only came to know about her departure through media reports. Through the media reports, we understand that she had gone to Canada,” Jaiswal said regarding Srinivasan.
However, people close to Suri and his family have alleged that emails were written to the Indian embassies regarding the situation and help was sought.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by Khan Suri’s attorney argues that the federal government has violated several of his constitutional rights, including those under the First and Fifth Amendments. The petition claims that his arrest is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to “retaliate against and punish noncitizens like Mr. Suri solely for their family ties to individuals who may have criticized U.S. foreign policy on Israel.”
On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that Suri cannot be deported while the lawsuit is ongoing.
