 "Devyani & Uttam Khobragade")
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade's father retired bureaucrat Uttam Khobragade said on Sunday he would continue his struggle till the US drops charges against his daughter. He is currently camping with her daughter in New Delhi. He pointed out there is a precedent - India had forced the US government to drop murder charges against an Indian VIP about three decades ago.
“The very fact that the US government proposed to drop the charges of Visa fraud if Devyani admitted to paying less salary to the maid proves that the charges are absolutely false,” he told Business Standard. He thanked External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for his announcement that the Indian government will fight the case till the US government drops case against Devyani.
He said Devyani after returning from the US has already reported to the external affairs ministry. “I am quite confident she will get a very important charge as the ministry can’t ignore her efficiency.”
He reiterated that Devyani has moved a federal court in New York to dismiss the visa fraud case against her, saying there is a lack of personal jurisdiction since she had been accorded full diplomatic immunity by the US Department of State.
Devyani was allegedly strip-searched and held with criminals after her arrest on December 12 last year. This triggered a controversy between the US and India. Subsequently, India retaliated by taking several steps including downgrading the privileges of certain category of US diplomats.
