Diplomat Devyani Khobragade's father meets Sushilkumar Shinde; seeks justice for her

NEW DELHI: Father of IFS officer Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest and subsequent illtreatment in the US has sparked a major diplomatic dust-up, met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who said the needful will be done to provide justice to her.

"Yes, he met me. He told me everything about the incident. Immediately, I have spoken to the concerned people for action. She will get justice," Shinde told reporters here.

The Home Minister was speaking after Uttam Khobragade, father of India's Deputy Consul General in New York Devyani Khobragade, met him seeking his help for justice to her.

Shinde is a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Uttam Khobragade is a retired official of the Maharashtra government.

Later, Khobragade said the Home Minister assured him government's full support to Devyani, a 1999 batch IFS officer.

He said the Home Minister told him that the government was with the family and Devyani has not done anything to be treated like that.

"What was done was absolutely atrocious and she was discharging government duty," Khobragade said.

Khobragade said when Devyani was arrested, she should have been treated with proper dignity.

The row intensified following reports that the diplomat was reportedly strip searched, confined with drug addicts after her detention and also subjected to DNA swabbing. However, when State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf was queried on it she said that the Diplomatic Security "followed standard procedures during her arrest".

According to Khobragade, the Home Minister said that Devyani had diplomatic immunity and the government will ensure that no harm is done and she is safe and there is no restriction on her movement.

Devyani was arrested and handcuffed in public in New York on visa fraud charges last week.