Conducting research on issues such as caste and religion is “sensitive” and a violation of visa norms, the Centre has said while defending its decision to deport United Kingdom-based anthropologist Filippo Osella in March, Live Law reported on Friday.

The government told the Delhi High Court that “several serious security implications” may arise if Osella is allowed entry into India.

Osella, who is recognised for his work on societies in South Asia, was asked to return to the United Kingdom from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on March 24.

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The academician has challenged his deportation before the Delhi High Court, saying that he was treated like “a hardened criminal” by the authorities in India and that his deportation was unconstitutional and arbitrary.

He had contended that he was not given any chance to present his side and that he had never faced any immigration problems during his previous visits to India. Osella’s deportation had sparked outrage in academic circles as he has been carrying out extensive research in Kerala since the 1990s.

At the last hearing in the case, the Central government had told the court that they had sufficient reasons to deport Osella and added that he was in the “highest category of blacklisting”. The court had then directed the Centre to file its stand in the case in an affidavit.

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At Friday’s hearing, the government argued that Osella repeatedly violated visa norms by engaging in activities that “do not fall within the scope of the activities for which the visa had been granted”, reported Live Law.

The government also raised questions on the funding behind the academician’s work.

“The foreign funds flow to the petitioner [Osella] for carrying out his research work in Kerala is an area of national security concern as the utilisation of these funds received by the petitioner for his research work studies in India remains unaccounted for,” the Centre said.

The case will be heard next in May.