Wrongful arrest, visa revoked, family in crisis: Inside Kapil Raghu’s US ordeal over 'Opium' perfume bottle

An Indian-origin man in Arkansas is fighting to have his US visa reinstated after a wrongful arrest that began with a bottle of designer perfume. Kapil Raghu, who lives in Benton with his American wife, was detained after police allegedly mistook a perfume labelled “Opium” for the banned narcotic. The misunderstanding has since spiralled into a legal and immigration crisis that now threatens to deport him from the country he calls home.

The traffic stop that changed everything

According to reports, the 32-year-old was pulled over by Benton police on 3 May for what began as a minor traffic violation. During a routine search, officers found a small bottle marked “Opium” in his car’s centre console and assumed it contained drugs. Despite Raghu’s repeated explanations that it was simply perfume, he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession.

Bodycam footage reportedly captured one officer telling him, “You got a vial of opium that was in your centre console.” Raghu, who worked as a food delivery driver, told The Saline Courier that he had cooperated throughout the stop and was “bewildered by the whole thing.”

Tests clear Raghu, but visa revoked

Subsequent testing by the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that the substance was harmless and contained no narcotics. Yet by then, Raghu had already spent three days in the Saline County Jail, where US immigration authorities flagged a paperwork issue in his visa file.

His attorney, Mike Laux, told The Guardian that the visa problem was caused by an “administrative error” by Raghu’s former lawyer. After the arrest, Raghu was transferred to a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Louisiana and detained for 30 days.

Even after a district court dropped the narcotics charge on 20 May, Raghu’s visa had already been revoked, leaving him without legal status. “It is my understanding that, though released, Kapil now has a ‘deportation’ status, meaning he can be immediately deported for any minor offence, even jaywalking,” Laux said. “More crucially, this classification bars him from working and supporting his family, which has been devastating for them.”

Family under strain

In a letter to ICE’s legal office, Raghu appealed for his visa to be reinstated, saying the issue stemmed from delayed paperwork. “The mounting legal fees and the pressure of not being able to contribute have created a difficult situation for our family,” he wrote. “My wife is carrying the entire financial burden.”

Raghu’s wife, Alhley Mays, described the ordeal as emotionally and financially crushing. The couple married in April and have since exhausted their savings, which were meant for a new home. “This doesn’t just affect Kapil and me. My daughter sees him as a father figure,” Mays said. “It was just cologne… If a cop gets behind me now, I panic.”

Accusations of protocol breach

Raghu’s lawyer also accused Benton police of violating international law by failing to inform the Indian Consulate of his detention, as required under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. “This should never have happened. It’s a clear case of overreach and neglect,” Laux said.

The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not commented on the case. Raghu, meanwhile, continues to wait for a response to his visa reinstatement request -- his future in the United States hanging in the balance.