'IELTS toppers' fail to speak English before US court

Surat: The police in Gujarat have launched an investigation after six people from the state failed to speak in English before a US court despite having a high score in English proficiency test IELTS. The men were caught entering US on a boat from Canada in March this year. Internet too is baffled after the news about the arrest of these people surfaced online. The probe has been launched on the request of American authorities, news agency PTI reported.

Inspector Bhavesh Rathod from Mehsana police's Special Operations Group (SOG) was quoted as saying by PTI that the six people, all between the ages of 19 and 21, were caught from a sinking boat in the Saint Regis river in Akwesasne, US, close to the Canadian border.

"When they were produced before a court in the US, they failed to answer in English the questions asked by the judge. The court had to take the help of a Hindi translator. The court was baffled as these students had scored 6.5 to 7 bands in IELTS," Inspector Rathod said.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a standard test of English proficiency for non-native speakers of the language, with a good score being necessary for admission in good colleges in several countries.

Social media users were shocked by the news.

"Jugaad culture going international," a user posted on Twitter. "Faking IELTS will land them in New Jersey for sure but once caught it affects all Indian students trying to make a career," said another.

The police said that the six young men appeared for exam in south Gujarat's Navsari town on September 25, 2021, and went to Canada on student visa on March 19 this year, nearly two weeks before they were caught at the US-Canada border.

Inspector Rathod said that all the CCTV cameras at the banquet hall where the exam was conducted were switched off.

The owners of the agency, which was authorised to conduct the exam, have been asked to appear before the police as part of the probe