India has demanded an apology from the US over the treatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was arrested in New York last week on suspicion of visa fraud.
After revelations that Ms Khobragade was strip-searched, swabbed for DNA, cavity-searched and placed in a cell with drug addicts, (though other cells were available) an outraged country pared down the privileges of American diplomats and removed police barricades from outside their embassy in Delhi.
The Indian diplomat, has been transferred to the permanent mission to United Nations in New York, where she can apply for full diplomatic immunity. The US State Department has to issue a new identity card that would give her this immunity. This comes just after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called her treatment by the US "deplorable" and vowed to do all bring her back.
The Indian and US negligence has turned a minor legal case into a diplomatic and political test of the countries' relationship/ Reuters/BBC.co.uk
As per the US laws which are extremely hard on human exploitation and human trafficking, Devyani has committed a very serious crime. The Manhattan US Attorney of Indian origin, Preet Barara who has ordered the arrest of Devyani, terms the charges as very serious. Talking to the media he said, "This type of fraud on the USA and exploitation of an individual will not be tolerated."
According to him she has been charged with one count each of visa fraud and making false statements. Devyani is now out on bail. Her lawyer Daniel Arshack claims that she enjoys diplomatic immunity and she can't be prosecuted under the US law.
The US has not apologised but says it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding Khobragde's arrest last week in New York. India wants Ms Khobragade's case to be moved from criminal to civil as it feels the alleged visa fraud makes for a civil breach of contract, not a human trafficking charge.
Khobragade’s father, Ttam Khobragade, was outraged, saying Tuesday that his daughter had “not done anything to be treated like that. What was done was absolutely atrocious.”
The case has sparked widespread outrage in India and infuriated the New Delhi government, which revoked privileges for U.S. diplomats to protest the woman's treatment. It has cast a pall over India-U.S. relations, which have cooled in recent years despite a 2008 nuclear deal that was hailed as a high point in the nations' ties.
If found guilty, Ms Khobragade faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making false statements.
The US state department said that Ms Khobragade did not have full diplomatic immunity at the time of the alleged offences.
It said under the UN's Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, she is immune from arrest only for crimes committed in connection with her work.
What do you think of the case?
Source: BBC.co.uk, NDTV.com, CBSnews.com, Indianexpress.com, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Featured Image:www.financialexpress.com
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