By IANS,
North Brunswick (New Jersey) : Indian-American Dharun Ravi, a former Rutgers University student would not be deported to India on completion of his sentence for spying on his gay roommate with a web camera, according to US media reports.
Ravi is expected to be released from the Middlesex County jail in North Brunswick Tuesday morning after completing 20 days of his 30-day sentence, The Star-Ledger – NJ.com reported.
He has received 10 days off his sentence for good behavior as per state regulations, the local news site said citing Warden Edmond Cicchi.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials won’t move to deport Ravi, who was convicted in March of multiple second-degree bias counts for spying on his Rutgers University roommate Tyler Clementi, in September 2010.
“Based on a review of Mr. Ravi’s criminal record, ICE is not initiating removal proceedings at this time,” ICE said in a statement cited by the journal.
India-born Ravi, 20, a legal permanent resident of the US, faced deportation to India following his conviction, but that possibility was diminished when he was sentenced to less than a year in jail, it noted.
Ravi must still serve three years’ probation, perform 300 hours of community service and pay $11,000 in fines.
The journal also cited an emailed statement from Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan saying, “The issue of deportation was and continues to be a matter for US Immigration and Custom Enforcement officials and we respectfully defer to their decision.”
Both the prosecution and the defence have filed appeals in the case.