Papers given to US to prove Devyani’s innocence

NEW DELHI: India has furnished documents and information to the US State Department to support its demand to drop the visa fraud case against diplomat Devyani Khobragade, a senior foreign ministry official said.

The US State Department has received both Khobragade’s accreditation as a diplomat in India’s Permanent UN Mission in New York and information from India about her status as an adviser to the UN Mission when she was arrested on December 12, this official said. The Obama administration is reviewing these documents, the official added.

It is for the US court where the case is filed to make a decision now, the official said, adding that New Delhi hopes the US would act swiftly so that Khobragade gets her passport back.

The Indian government has also given details to the Obama administration on the visa application form of Sangeeta Richards, Khobragade’s now-absconding maid recruited from India. The documents provided by India points out the error of the US Justice Department that confused the diplomat’s salary with that of Richard, sources at the Ministry of External Affairs said. “India wants the US to expedite the process and relieve her of the charges that have been filed against her,” one of them said.

Khobragade is scheduled to appear before a Manhattan court on January 13. India has been consistently demanding the US to drop the case unconditionally. Khobragade, who was India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested on charges of underpaying her maid and giving inaccurate information in Richard’s visa application.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Khobragade was also an adviser to the UN at the time of her arrest, a position that would grant her full diplomatic immunity. Consular officials don’t get such privileges, the reason given by the US for arresting her.

After her arrest, India transferred Khobragade from the consular office to the UN Mission. Her earlier adviser position was valid until the end of 2013.