London-based scholar stopped from entering India

Francesca Orsini, noted historian and professor emerita at SOAS, University of London, was reportedly denied entry into India on Monday evening despite having a valid tourist visa, her colleagues and publisher said on Tuesday.

People familiar with the matter said Francesca Orsini was on a tourist visa but was placed on a blacklist for violating visa conditions. (Ashoka University Centre for Translation)

Orsini, a leading scholar of Hindi and Urdu literature, had arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport from China via Hong Kong. She was unavailable for comment as her phone remained switched off. However, she confirmed to a web news portal from the airport that she was denied entry despite holding a valid visa. Orsini had last visited India in October 2024.