ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
Hyderabad: An U.S. diplomat had to apologise and retract her statements on Tuesday evening after she described radio-trackers, defrauded Indian students have been made to wear, as “hep and happening”.
Reports and footage of Indian students — duped by a sham university in California — made to wear radio-trackers, on foot have already spurred angry reactions from India’s foreign ministry and other official sources.
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi on Monday had justified the usage of the monitors calling it a "standard procedure" for investigations and not an implication of guilt or suspicion of criminal activity.
But the explanation does not seem to have smoothed any ruffled feathers.
On Tuesday evening, a public affairs official of the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad Juliet Wurr told NDTV that the students made to wear the trackers on their ankles should perceive them as a trendy piece of gadgetry.
“Let me tell you they are very hep and happening because many of our movie stars and celebrities choose the anklets rather than sitting in a red jumpsuit in prison,” she was quoted as saying.
She even went on to add, "It's funny people getting upset about this. I don't know about your servants...but my servant has big heavy silver anklets...that look a heck of a lot more uncomfortable and binding."
Wurr’s insensitive statements have fanned a lot of heat within the Indian administration and the government is said to have lodged a formal compalint with the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu.
Following the complaint, Wurr appeared on television again and apologised saying she never meant to hurt the feelings of any of the students, undergoing “a very trying time now in this situation”.
Students of the Tri-Valley University, over 90 percent of who are said to be Indians, face the possibility of deportation after an immigration racket was uncovered leading to the closure of the California institute.
Many the Indian students, majority of whom hail from Andhra Pradesh, were reportedly found to be working in neighboring states by U.S. officials. Some of them have been made to wear radio-trackers on their ankles so that they can be located.
Hyderabad: An U.S. diplomat had to apologise and retract her statements on Tuesday evening after she described radio-trackers, defrauded Indian students have been made to wear, as “hep and happening”. Reports and footage of Indian students — duped by a sham university in California — made to wear...
Hyderabad: An U.S. diplomat had to apologise and retract her statements on Tuesday evening after she described radio-trackers, defrauded Indian students have been made to wear, as “hep and happening”.
Reports and footage of Indian students — duped by a sham university in California — made to wear radio-trackers, on foot have already spurred angry reactions from India’s foreign ministry and other official sources.
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi on Monday had justified the usage of the monitors calling it a "standard procedure" for investigations and not an implication of guilt or suspicion of criminal activity.
But the explanation does not seem to have smoothed any ruffled feathers.
On Tuesday evening, a public affairs official of the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad Juliet Wurr told NDTV that the students made to wear the trackers on their ankles should perceive them as a trendy piece of gadgetry.
“Let me tell you they are very hep and happening because many of our movie stars and celebrities choose the anklets rather than sitting in a red jumpsuit in prison,” she was quoted as saying.
She even went on to add, "It's funny people getting upset about this. I don't know about your servants...but my servant has big heavy silver anklets...that look a heck of a lot more uncomfortable and binding."
Wurr’s insensitive statements have fanned a lot of heat within the Indian administration and the government is said to have lodged a formal compalint with the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Lu.
Following the complaint, Wurr appeared on television again and apologised saying she never meant to hurt the feelings of any of the students, undergoing “a very trying time now in this situation”.
Students of the Tri-Valley University, over 90 percent of who are said to be Indians, face the possibility of deportation after an immigration racket was uncovered leading to the closure of the California institute.
Many the Indian students, majority of whom hail from Andhra Pradesh, were reportedly found to be working in neighboring states by U.S. officials. Some of them have been made to wear radio-trackers on their ankles so that they can be located.
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