Former UF Postdoctoral Researcher Deported to India
Update February 14, 2026: This article was updated to reflect Kanal Balu's deportation.
On August 10, 2025, Gainesville Police Department officers arrested Kanal Elamparithi Balu, 34, and charged him with misdemeanor battery.
According to the arrest report, Balu and the victim were with a group drinking alcohol. Balu was reportedly the least intoxicated out of everyone.
The victim told police she became ill from drinking too much and began passing in and out of consciousness. On various occasions throughout the night, the victim woke up to Balu sexually assaulting her.
During his police interview, Balu reportedly said he only touched the victim’s breast once on accident and that he “cuddled” with her because she was shivering. Balu admitted the victim did not consent to cuddling, the arrest report states.
According to Balu’s LinkedIn, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Florida (UF). He was placed on administrative shortly after his arrest pending review, UF Public Affairs Director Cynthia Roldon told GnvInfo.
Prosecutors dropped the case on September 5, 2025, and it no longer appears from a court records search, indicating it was expunged.
In November 2025, GnvInfo received contact from one of Balu's friends requesting this article to be taken down. She said, "Kanal was arrested for charges he was not guilty of and even though those charges were dropped, he was still deported due to his H1B visa status being invalid during the time he was not able to work due to his wrongful arrest. Kanal is an outstanding friend and an amazing person who has dedicated his entire life to his family, friends and academic work. We're all extremely sad he had to go back to India. He's trying to continue his life in India as best as he can but it's hard to carry himself with dignity when the first thing that comes up when you look up his name is your article with his mugshot on it."
