Row over Indian student on F‑1 visa flashing gun in viral video: 'He must be deported'

A viral video shows Akhilesh Chetla Ravi inside a convenience store or petrol station handling a handgun.

“A viral video showing an Indian student in the United States handling a handgun has stirred a row with several social media users demanding that he be deported”

The Times of India

Radio chatter in the background mentions "shots fired."

The Times of India

The footage was first linked to his Snapchat account before spreading across social media platforms.

The clip prompted widespread online attention.

Posts sharing the clip claimed Ravi was in the United States on an F-1 student visa and had been working illegally off campus at the store shown in the video.

Social media users questioned the legality of his firearm possession.

The Times of India

Several users tagged US agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and State Department officials and called for an inquiry, with some posts demanding "He must be deported."

The article reproduces a range of social media reactions such as "He’s not legally allowed to work outside the campus I suppose," "Everyone who has a gun, knows that’s not how you handle a gun," and "Any student especially foreign, wants to indulge in any activity other than books library & education should be deported immediately."

Ravi’s Instagram account, previously public under the handle @akhilesh.ch_98, was switched to private shortly after the video went viral.

Ravi is originally from India and graduated from Hood College in Maryland in May 2025 with a degree in Management Information Systems.

“A viral video showing an Indian student in the United States handling a handgun has stirred a row with several social media users demanding that he be deported”

The Times of India

His name appears in the college’s official commencement programme.

His LinkedIn profile lists him as working as a software developer at JPMorgan Chase since September 2025 and shows earlier roles at Bayer, Capgemini and BYJU'S.

The article does not confirm whether Ravi was on an F-1 visa at the time of the video.

The article does not confirm whether he was legally or illegally employed at the store or whether he was in lawful possession of the firearm.

The article does not report any official investigation or enforcement action having been opened.