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Devyani Khobragade incident

January 01, 1970

On December 11, 2013, Devyani Khobragade, then the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of India in New York City, was charged by U.S. authorities with committing visa fraud and providing false statements in order to gain entry to the United States for Sangeeta Richard,[1] a woman of Indian nationality, for employment as a domestic worker for Khobragade in New York.[2] She was additionally charged with failing to pay the domestic worker a minimum wage.[3]

Khobragade was arrested the next day by U.S. federal law enforcement authorities,[4] subjected to a "strip search", presented to a judge, and released the same day.[5][6] Her arrest and treatment received much media attention particularly in India, and led to a diplomatic row between India and the United States.[7][8]

One week later, Khobragade was transferred by the government of India to the UN mission in New York, subject to clearance from the United States Department of State, which would entitle her to full diplomatic immunity.[9] Her former post entitled her only to consular immunity.

On January 8, 2014, the U.S. issued Khobragade the G-1 visa that granted her full diplomatic immunity.[10] Following this an unknown US State official is reported to have stated "The US requested waiver of immunity (of Devyani Khobragade). India denied that request. We then requested her departure, as per the standard procedure and the charges remain in place."[11] The next day, Khobragade left the United States by plane to India.[12] That same day she was indicted by a federal grand jury with visa fraud and making false statements.[12]

On March 12, 2014, Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered that all charges against Khobragade be dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity at the time of her indictment on visa fraud charges due to her posting to the United Nations prior to the indictment.[13][14] Two days later, Khobragade was re-indicted on the same charges.[15][16]

People edit

Devyani Khobragade edit

Devyani Khobragade is an Indian Foreign Service officer and a medical doctor who until December 18, 2013, was deputy consul general in the Consulate General of India in New York. She joined Indian Foreign Service in 1999. In her capacity of deputy consul general for India, she handled women's affairs as well as political and economic issues. Khobragade is married, with two children, to a U.S. citizen, Aakash Singh Rathore whose birthplace has not been verified.[17][18]

Sangeeta Richard edit

Sangeeta Richard, 42, an Indian national and earlier holder of an Indian diplomatic passport, worked as nanny and domestic help for Khobragade from November 2012 until June 2013. Her husband, Philip Richard, used to work as a driver with the Mozambique mission in New Delhi.[19] It has been reported that Sangeeta's mother-in-law was employed with a senior US diplomat, who was posted in India between 2002 and 2007 and her father-in-law is still working in the US embassy in India.[20][21]

Timeline edit

Hiring of Richard edit

In November 2012, Khobragade employed Richard, as a nanny and domestic servant for her residence in New York. Richard traveled on an Indian diplomatic passport issued by the government of India for its diplomatic staff. Richard entered the U.S. on an A-3 visa, which is a non-immigrant visa and permits the holder to work anywhere in the US for a specified employer.[19][22]

In a legal complaint later filed by Richard and the United States government, it was described that before hire, Khobragade and Sangeeta Richard verbally agreed in India to a starting salary of 25,000 rupees per month, plus an additional 5,000 rupees for overtime. Based on the exchange rate at that time, 30,000 rupees was equivalent to 573.07 U.S. dollars or about $3.31 an hour, assuming a 40-hour work week.[23] Khobragade signed a written contract with Richard which stipulated her hourly salary in the U.S. would be $9.75 and that the normal working hours per week shall be 40. This contract was submitted to the U.S. government as part of the visa application where Khobragade stated Richard would be making "around $4,500 per month".[23] The complaint claims that Khobragade instructed Richard not to say anything to the embassy interviewer about being paid only 30,000 rupees per month, but to say she would be paid $9.75 an hour and work 40 hours a week.[23]

The complaint then alleges that Khobragade asked Richard to sign another employment contract shortly before leaving India, which was not intended to be revealed to the U.S. government.[24] This second contract allegedly says she was to be paid an expected salary of Rs. 30,000 per month with no mention of sick days or vacation time.[23]

Richard leaving Khobragade's home edit

On June 21, 2013, Khobragade left her children in the care of Richard and went on an out-of-town trip. On returning on June 23, 2013, Khobragade found Richard missing from her home.[22] On June 24, 2013, Khobragade informed the Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) and requested help in tracing Richard. The OFM directed her to file a missing person report with New York City Police Department (NYPD). Initially NYPD refused to file the report, since Richard was not a family member. After written requests made on June 25, 2013, the NYPD filed a missing person report.[22] The NYPD then closed the case and it determined that Richard had simply left.[25]

After walking out of the house, Richard lived on the support of strangers within the Indian community in New York City, including a Gurdwara. Later, Richard contacted Safe Horizon, a nonprofit that has an anti-trafficking program, which took Richard to the State Department with the allegations.[25]

On July 1, 2013, Khobragade received a phone call from a person claiming to be Richard's lawyer and requesting her to process a change in visa status of Richard and provide compensation based on 19 hours of work per day. Khobragade refused to negotiate on the phone and demanded the caller's identity.[22] On July 2, 2013, Khobragade informed OFM to direct NYPD to identify the caller as the caller was trying to extort money.[22] On July 5, 2013, Khobragade filed a complaint of "aggravated harassment" with NYPD alleging extortion and blackmail by the caller. In India, officials briefed US embassy officials about the reports filed with NYPD and sought assistance in the matter. The Indian Embassy in Washington also made similar requests with the State Department in Washington.[22]

On July 8, 2013, "Access Immigration", a law office representing Richard, called for a meeting with Khobragade. Khobragade with other consulate officers met Richard. Richard requested payment of US$10,000, conversion of her Indian diplomatic passport to an India ordinary passport and assistance for getting required US visa for continued stay in United States. Indian consulate officers informed Richard that she was required to return to India as she was on an Indian diplomatic passport and that compensation regarding work hours would be settled before departure to India.[22]

On July 19, 2013, Philip Richard, husband of Richard, filed a petition in Indian court alleging that Khobragade and the Indian government held his wife in police custody in New York and had kept in "slavery-like conditions or keeping a person in bondage". The petition also stated that Uttam Khobragade had called Richard's family in India and threatened them with dire consequences if Richard were to complain.[26] The petition was withdrawn four days later.[22]

Legal action against Richard edit

Following the July 8 meeting, the Indian government revoked Richard's Indian diplomatic passport with effect from June 22, 2013, and informed OFM about the termination of the passport.[19][22]

On September 4, 2013, the US State Department issued a letter to the Indian ambassador to probe the allegation of Richard and for proof of minimum wages paid. Following this, on September 10, 2013, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs lodged strong protest with the US officials regarding the tone and content of the letter. Then, on September 21, 2013, the Indian Embassy sent a reply to the US State Department, highlighting that Richard seeks to subvert both Indian and US laws.[22]

On November 19, 2013, based on a complaint lodged by Khobragade, a Delhi court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Richard, which was forwarded to US State Department and US embassy for her immediate arrest.[22]

On December 10, 2013, Philip Richard, along with two children, went to the U.S. on a T visa; this visa permits victims of human trafficking and their close relatives to stay in the U.S. to testify against those accused of human trafficking crimes.[22][27] Indian media claimed that the cost of air tickets for Philip Richard, and two children Jennifer and Jatin, was paid by the U.S. Embassy to India.[28]

Visa fraud charges edit

On December 11, 2013, Khobragade was charged with visa fraud. The charges allege that she committed visa fraud willfully and under penalty of perjury under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546. It further alleges that Khobragade submitted an employment contract to the U.S. Department of State, in support of a visa application filed by Khobragade for another individual, which she knew to contain materially false and fraudulent statements.[23] The visa fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and the false statements charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.[24]

Arrest edit

Based on the charges filed by a special agent with the US Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the United States magistrate judge Debra Freeman issued an arrest warrant against Khobragade. Khobragade was arrested by US Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service on December 12, 2013, around 9:30 am after dropping off her daughters at school on West 97th Street in Manhattan.[29]

Around noon, Khobragade was escorted to the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan, where she was transferred into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and strip searched by a female deputy marshal in a private setting.[30] She was presented before a U.S. magistrate judge and pleaded not guilty to the charges. She was released at 4 p.m. the same day on a $250,000 recognizance bond. She also surrendered her passport.[8]

After her release, Khobragade wrote an email to her colleagues in the Indian Foreign Service where she claimed that she "broke down many times", owing to "the indignities of repeated handcuffing, stripping, and cavity searches, swabbing", and to being held "with common criminals and drug addicts".[31]

The next day, Indian media sources echoed her claims that after her arrest she was handcuffed, strip searched, DNA swabbed and subjected to a cavity search.[7][32][33]

On December 18, 2013, Nikki Credic-Barrett, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Marshals Service, stated that Khobragade was strip searched but not subjected to a cavity search. Per agency regulations, a strip search can include a "visual inspection" of body cavities. Credic-Barrett also stated that anyone taken to holding cells of the New York federal courthouse is automatically subjected to a strip search if they are placed among other prisoners.[34] With reference to DNA swabbing, Credic-Barrett said that the responsibility for collection of a DNA sample was that of the arresting agency, US Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.[35]

On December 19, 2013, Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, claimed that after her arrest, Khobragade was "accorded courtesies well beyond what other defendants, most of whom are American citizens, are accorded".[30] For about two hours after her arrest, she was allowed to make numerous phone calls in order to arrange for child care and sort out personal matters.[30]

Post transfer to United Nations edit

The Indian government moved Khobragade to a permanent position at the Indian Mission at the United Nations, New York in order to provide her with diplomatic immunity.[36][37] The US State Department clarified that the full diplomatic immunity which she might receive in that post would not be retroactive.[38] On December 23, 2013, the United Nations approved a request from India to accredit Khobragade,[39] but also stated that US approval was still needed.[40] Khobragade was granted an exemption from personally appearing in court for the case.[41]

Khobragade was granted a G-1 visa by the United States Department of State on January 8, 2014, under the terms of Section 15 of the Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and the United States which gave her full diplomatic immunity and would preclude any court jurisdiction over her.[42][43] The U.S. officials said that the State Department had no choice but to grant Khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the United Nations because she did not pose a national security threat.[44]

Indictment and return to India edit

On January 9, 2014, a US grand jury indicted her on two counts, for visa fraud and making false statements to get a work visa for Sangeeta Richard, her housekeeper in New York.[45] Preet Bharara later confirmed that the charges against her will remain pending until she can be brought to court to face them, either through a waiver of immunity or her return to the US without immunity status.[46] Hours after Khobragade was indicted for visa fraud, India refused the US request to waive the immunity and transferred her to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.[47]

On January 9, 2014, Khobragade left the United States by plane to India after first receiving permission from U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin upon the advice of her lawyer, Daniel Arshack.[48][12] As she left, she commented to an American colleague about her own leaving and Mrs. and Mr. Richard staying by saying that, "You have lost a good friend. It is unfortunate. In return, you got a maid and a drunken driver. They are in, and we are out."[49]

There are other accounts that despite Khobragade's media bravado, she was reluctant to leave US and had to be sternly told to return to India by the Indian External Ministry.[50]

Khobragade's children, aged 4 and 7, have remained in the U.S. with her husband Dr. Aakash Singh Rathore, who was then a visiting scholar in the department of Arts and Sciences at University of Pennsylvania.[51] All three are United States citizens.[49] Khobragade may only return to the U.S. to submit to the jurisdiction of a court.[18] Upon returning to India, Khobragade expressed that she missed her family.[52] "I wonder if I will be able to ever reunite with my family, my husband, my little kids. I miss them ... What if I can never return to the US, which I cannot now. Does it mean we will never be able to live together as a family again?" she said.[52] On January 13 it was announced that Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh had placed a gag order on Khobragade.[53] As of February 9 Khobragade's husband and children were living in the apartment for Devyani Khobragade at the Indian Embassy in Turtle Bay, Manhattan, creating the unusual situation in which they as American citizens had access to the Indian Embassy and the apartment without living with a diplomat.[54] Her husband planned to return to India with the children within two weeks.[54] He had received a job offer to teach at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.[54][55]

Dismissal and re-issuance of indictment edit

Dismissal edit

On February 8, 2014, Khobragade moved for her visa fraud charge to be dismissed, reasoning that the country had no authority over her as she was granted diplomatic immunity when the indictment case was filed.[56] The prosecution opposed the motion, reasoning: "Having left the U.S. and returned to India, the defendant currently has no diplomatic or consular status in the U.S., and the consular level immunity that she did have at the relevant times does not give her immunity from the charges in this case, crimes arising out of non-official acts."[57]

On March 12, 2014, Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered that all charges against Khobragade be dismissed.[58] Her ruling noted that Khobragade received diplomatic immunity from the United Nations on January 8 and she held that immunity until January 9, on which day she left the United States.[58] Since the indictment was issued on January 9, the court found that "the government may not proceed on an indictment obtained when Khobragade was immune from the jurisdiction of the court."[58] The order did leave open the possibility that prosecutors could bring a new indictment, given that she no longer had immunity, having departed the U.S.[13][14] Immediately after the indictment was dismissed, prosecutor Preet Bharara's office stated "there is currently no bar to a new indictment against her for her alleged criminal conduct, and we intend to proceed accordingly".[58][59] Devyani Khobragade's father Uttam Khobragade said, "They tried to trap Devyani with a false complaint against her. I thank the Indian government and the Indians for their cooperation and help. She will go back to America with full diplomatic immunity."[60]

Re-issuance of indictment edit

On March 14, 2014, Khobragade was re-indicted on the same charges.[15][16] A new warrant for Khobragade's arrest was subsequently issued.[61] Salman Khurshid, Indian Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs, said that the re-issuance of an indictment was "extremely irksome".[62]

US diplomat expulsion edit

On January 10 the Indian government ordered the expulsion of US diplomat Wayne May because he had assisted Richard's family in securing T-visas and traveling to the United States.[63] Media sources stated that May had taken "unilateral actions" in expediting the travel of Richard's family from India and violated various procedures with respect to actions taken related to the case. Media sources also quoted disparaging remarks about India and Indian culture made by May and his wife on their personal social media accounts since their posting to New Delhi.[64] At the time of his expulsion, May was the head of the embassy's diplomatic security contingent managing a staff of 424 security officers including 10 Marine security guards, and had been in India since 2010.[65][66] The expulsion of a US diplomat by India is viewed as unprecedented. In the history of the US-India relationships, a similar event has happened only once when India blocked appointment of George G B Griffin, a Reagan appointee, to the post of US political counselor, the third-ranking post in the United States Embassy.[67]

Sangeeta Richard's parent's-in-law worked for Wayne May, and he was accused of "evacuating" Richard's family illegally two days prior to Khobragade's arrest.[68]

Reactions and effects edit

Khobragade edit

In an email to her Indian diplomatic colleagues released to the media on December 18, 2013, Khobragade wrote:[31]

I am so grateful for all the outpouring of unequivocal support and backing that has been available to me from the fraternity. I take comfort in the confidence that this invaluable support will also be translated into strong and swift action, to ensure the safety of me and my children, as also to preserve the dignity of our service which is unquestionably under siege. While I was going through it, although I must admit that I broke down many times as the indignities of repeated handcuffing, stripping and cavity searches, swabbing, hold up with common criminals and drug addicts were all being imposed upon me despite my incessant assertions of immunity, I got the strength to regain composure and remain dignified thinking that I must represent all of my colleagues and my country with confidence and pride. I feel I can continue to do so thanks to this strong and prolific support.

India edit

In India, much of criticism of the actions of the US authorities centered on the claims made by Indian media that Khobragade was handcuffed in public, subjected to a strip search, and made to share a cell with "drug addicts".[69]

Government officials and ministers in India reacted strongly against the arrest of the diplomat and cited the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations whereby diplomats enjoy immunity. US government officials maintain that they followed "standard procedures", and that Khobragade has only consular immunity, giving her protection from arrest related to her consular duties but not to crimes committed on US soil. India's Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh registered a protest with the US ambassador to India Nancy Jo Powell. Powell clarified that immunity from US courts only applies to "acts performed in the exercise of consular functions."[70]

In further protest, several senior politicians and officials from Indian government refused to meet the US Congressional delegation that was visiting India at that time. These included Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar, Minister of Home Affairs Sushilkumar Shinde, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and prime ministerial candidate of NDA for the then upcoming 2014 Indian general elections and Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi.[8][7] The US Congressional delegation included representatives George Holding, Pete Olson, David Schweikert, Rob Woodall and Madeleine Bordallo.[71]

Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha called for the arrest of same-sex companions of US diplomats, citing the Supreme Court of India's recent upholding of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.[72][73] The Indian government asked US consular officers posted in India to return all identity cards.[8][7]

On December 17, 2013, Delhi Police removed security barricades on the road outside the US Embassy in New Delhi, citing need for improvement of traffic flow in that area.[74] India has demanded an unconditional apology from the US government[74] and asked the details of the salaries of all domestic help, gardeners and other staff employed by US consulates in India to check for inconsistency or frauds.[74] India moved to block perks such as alcohol and food imports at concessional rates, for embassy employees.[75] With new restrictions, U.S. Embassy vehicles will not be immune to traffic violations, the restrictions also requires the embassy not to hold "Commercial Activities" in its premises.[76] Indian income tax and immigration authorities are investigating allegations of work-permit, visa and income tax fraud at the American Embassy School.[77][78][79]

On December 18, 2013, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, criticized the actions of the US authorities as "deplorable".[80] Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati complained that the Indian government was not reacting strongly enough, asserting that it was insufficiently supportive to Khobragade because she belonged to a Dalit caste.[81]

Protests took place outside the US consulates in New Delhi,[82] Mumbai,[82] Chennai[83] and Hyderabad.[80][82][84][85]

On January 23, 2014, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid raised with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the issue of granting US visa to the husband of Sangeeta Richard despite a police case pending against him in a Delhi court.[86]

On January 29, 2014, Indian ambassador to United States, S Jaishankar opined that this incident should never have happened and called for the need of greater sensitivity, of better understanding and of stronger oversight of ties between two countries.[87]

On February 13, 2014, the front-runner[88] in opinion polls to lead the next Indian government, Narendra Modi, echoed the Indian government's position in calling for a permanent solution to the Devyani Khobragade issue during his talks with the US Ambassador Nancy Powell.[89]

On March 15, 2014, Indian government spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India was "disappointed" by the U.S. Justice Department's second indictment of Khobragade, calling the decision to do so "unnecessary" and warned that: "Any measures consequent to this decision in the US will unfortunately impact upon efforts on both sides to build the India-US strategic partnership, to which both sides are committed." He added that the Indian government will "no longer engage on this case in the United States' legal system".[90]

United States edit

On December 18, 2013, John Kerry expressed regret over the circumstances regarding the arrest and strip-search of the Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and empathized as a father of two daughters at similar age as Khobragade.[91]

Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office had filed the charges,[92][93] defended the handling of the arrest and custody, though his office was not involved. He claimed that Khobragade was accorded courtesies well beyond what other defendants, most of whom are American citizens, are accorded.[24]

On the evening of December 19, 2013, US undersecretary of state for political affairs Wendy Sherman called up Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh to convey regrets regarding the episode. Sherman offered a consular dialogue between India and US to resolve the problems of domestic staff and immunity issue.[94] Sherman spoke with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh to stress the importance of ties following the arrest details and pledged to work through the complex issues of the case.[95]

On December 19, 2013, State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters Washington was not pressuring U.S. law enforcement to drop the case.

On March 14, 2014, when Khobragade was indicted again after a dismissal of the first indictment on March 12, State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters that the State Department stands by the court papers it had filed opposing Khobragade's bid to get the charges dismissed.[96]

On 28 May 2014, Robert D. Blackwill, the former US ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003 and currently a Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) opined that the treatment meted out to Devyani Khobragade and the subsequent impact of the incident on US-India relations as giving a "new meaning to the word stupid".[97][98]

Speaking at Harvard Law School in 2014, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, in the Khobragade case, said: "(It was) not the crime of the century but a serious crime nonetheless, that is why the State Department opened the case, that is why the State Department investigated it. That is why career agents in the State Department asked career prosecutors in my office to approve criminal charges."[99][100] Bharara, who was born in India, said that he was upset by attacks on him in the Indian press.[101]

The 2014 State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report appeared to classify the Khobragade incident as an example of human trafficking, stating: "An Indian consular officer at the New York consulate was indicted in December 2013 for visa fraud related to her alleged exploitation of an Indian domestic worker."[102] In response, India has shown no urgency to allow visits to India by the newly appointed US anti-people trafficking ambassador Susan P. Coppedge. Indian ambassador to the US, Arun K. Singh reiterated India's commitment to work within an international framework to tackle the problem of trafficking but rejected any "unilateral assessments" by another country saying "We will never accept it" and downplayed the importance of the visits: "When you ask a U.S. official when somebody will be given a visa, they always say 'we will assess when visa is applied for.' ... I can do no better than to reiterate the U.S. position."[103]

Sangeeta Richard edit

Sangeeta Richard, the domestic worker in the Khobragade case, is being represented by Safe Horizon, a victim assistance agency. On December 20, 2013, Dana Sussman, staff attorney in the anti-trafficking program at Safe Horizon said there was "frustration and disappointment that the media and the officials portrayed this story in the way that they have."[104] Sussman also denied claims that Richard had sought to extort money from Khobragde after leaving her employment. "She essentially worked very long hours, was isolated within the home, and attempted to ask for more time off, ask for more reasonable hours, but those attempts to resolve the issues were unsuccessful." Describing Richard's reaction to the publicity surrounding the case, Sussman said "It's quite overwhelming for her. I think she's been frustrated with the response that somehow has been on the victimization of the defendant."[25]

In court papers filed in Delhi, Richard's husband Phillip alleged that she was required to work from 6 am to 11 pm every day, with just two hours off on Sunday to go to church.[26] He also claimed that money was deducted from Richard's wages when she fell ill, and that Uttam Khobragade, Devyani's father, had threatened the Richard family with abduction and false drugs allegations if Richard complained about her treatment.[26]

In January 2014, several days after Sangeeta and her husband had started to live together in US, the couple filed for divorce.[105]

Domestic worker groups edit

On December 20 a group of nearly fifty people representing migrant domestic workers protested for an hour outside the Indian Consulate in New York City. Among the rights groups were Safe Horizon, the victim assistance agency representing Richard, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Damayan Migrant Workers Association and the National Guestworker Alliance. Yomara Velez of the National Domestic Workers Alliance said "We are calling for a fair trial and compensation for Richard. There is a larger issue here about diplomatic immunity and about how do we provide basic labour protections for all domestic workers not just in the US but globally as well."[106]

See also edit

References edit

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External links edit

  • Indictment, exhibits, and related letter: U.S. v. Devyani Khobragade
  • in March 2014
  • "Why Indian-American sympathy appears to lie with narrative of the housekeeper", a narrative from The Economic Times

January 01, 1970
devyani, khobragade, incident, december, 2013, devyani, khobragade, then, deputy, consul, general, consulate, general, india, york, city, charged, authorities, with, committing, visa, fraud, providing, false, statements, order, gain, entry, united, states, san. On December 11 2013 Devyani Khobragade then the Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of India in New York City was charged by U S authorities with committing visa fraud and providing false statements in order to gain entry to the United States for Sangeeta Richard 1 a woman of Indian nationality for employment as a domestic worker for Khobragade in New York 2 She was additionally charged with failing to pay the domestic worker a minimum wage 3 Khobragade was arrested the next day by U S federal law enforcement authorities 4 subjected to a strip search presented to a judge and released the same day 5 6 Her arrest and treatment received much media attention particularly in India and led to a diplomatic row between India and the United States 7 8 One week later Khobragade was transferred by the government of India to the UN mission in New York subject to clearance from the United States Department of State which would entitle her to full diplomatic immunity 9 Her former post entitled her only to consular immunity On January 8 2014 the U S issued Khobragade the G 1 visa that granted her full diplomatic immunity 10 Following this an unknown US State official is reported to have stated The US requested waiver of immunity of Devyani Khobragade India denied that request We then requested her departure as per the standard procedure and the charges remain in place 11 The next day Khobragade left the United States by plane to India 12 That same day she was indicted by a federal grand jury with visa fraud and making false statements 12 On March 12 2014 Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered that all charges against Khobragade be dismissed because she had diplomatic immunity at the time of her indictment on visa fraud charges due to her posting to the United Nations prior to the indictment 13 14 Two days later Khobragade was re indicted on the same charges 15 16 Contents 1 People 1 1 Devyani Khobragade 1 2 Sangeeta Richard 2 Timeline 2 1 Hiring of Richard 2 2 Richard leaving Khobragade s home 2 3 Legal action against Richard 3 Visa fraud charges 3 1 Arrest 3 2 Post transfer to United Nations 3 3 Indictment and return to India 3 4 Dismissal and re issuance of indictment 3 4 1 Dismissal 3 4 2 Re issuance of indictment 4 US diplomat expulsion 5 Reactions and effects 5 1 Khobragade 5 2 India 5 3 United States 5 4 Sangeeta Richard 5 5 Domestic worker groups 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksPeople editDevyani Khobragade edit Devyani Khobragade is an Indian Foreign Service officer and a medical doctor who until December 18 2013 was deputy consul general in the Consulate General of India in New York She joined Indian Foreign Service in 1999 In her capacity of deputy consul general for India she handled women s affairs as well as political and economic issues Khobragade is married with two children to a U S citizen Aakash Singh Rathore whose birthplace has not been verified 17 18 Sangeeta Richard edit Sangeeta Richard 42 an Indian national and earlier holder of an Indian diplomatic passport worked as nanny and domestic help for Khobragade from November 2012 until June 2013 Her husband Philip Richard used to work as a driver with the Mozambique mission in New Delhi 19 It has been reported that Sangeeta s mother in law was employed with a senior US diplomat who was posted in India between 2002 and 2007 and her father in law is still working in the US embassy in India 20 21 Timeline editHiring of Richard edit In November 2012 Khobragade employed Richard as a nanny and domestic servant for her residence in New York Richard traveled on an Indian diplomatic passport issued by the government of India for its diplomatic staff Richard entered the U S on an A 3 visa which is a non immigrant visa and permits the holder to work anywhere in the US for a specified employer 19 22 In a legal complaint later filed by Richard and the United States government it was described that before hire Khobragade and Sangeeta Richard verbally agreed in India to a starting salary of 25 000 rupees per month plus an additional 5 000 rupees for overtime Based on the exchange rate at that time 30 000 rupees was equivalent to 573 07 U S dollars or about 3 31 an hour assuming a 40 hour work week 23 Khobragade signed a written contract with Richard which stipulated her hourly salary in the U S would be 9 75 and that the normal working hours per week shall be 40 This contract was submitted to the U S government as part of the visa application where Khobragade stated Richard would be making around 4 500 per month 23 The complaint claims that Khobragade instructed Richard not to say anything to the embassy interviewer about being paid only 30 000 rupees per month but to say she would be paid 9 75 an hour and work 40 hours a week 23 The complaint then alleges that Khobragade asked Richard to sign another employment contract shortly before leaving India which was not intended to be revealed to the U S government 24 This second contract allegedly says she was to be paid an expected salary of Rs 30 000 per month with no mention of sick days or vacation time 23 Richard leaving Khobragade s home edit On June 21 2013 Khobragade left her children in the care of Richard and went on an out of town trip On returning on June 23 2013 Khobragade found Richard missing from her home 22 On June 24 2013 Khobragade informed the Office of Foreign Missions OFM and requested help in tracing Richard The OFM directed her to file a missing person report with New York City Police Department NYPD Initially NYPD refused to file the report since Richard was not a family member After written requests made on June 25 2013 the NYPD filed a missing person report 22 The NYPD then closed the case and it determined that Richard had simply left 25 After walking out of the house Richard lived on the support of strangers within the Indian community in New York City including a Gurdwara Later Richard contacted Safe Horizon a nonprofit that has an anti trafficking program which took Richard to the State Department with the allegations 25 On July 1 2013 Khobragade received a phone call from a person claiming to be Richard s lawyer and requesting her to process a change in visa status of Richard and provide compensation based on 19 hours of work per day Khobragade refused to negotiate on the phone and demanded the caller s identity 22 On July 2 2013 Khobragade informed OFM to direct NYPD to identify the caller as the caller was trying to extort money 22 On July 5 2013 Khobragade filed a complaint of aggravated harassment with NYPD alleging extortion and blackmail by the caller In India officials briefed US embassy officials about the reports filed with NYPD and sought assistance in the matter The Indian Embassy in Washington also made similar requests with the State Department in Washington 22 On July 8 2013 Access Immigration a law office representing Richard called for a meeting with Khobragade Khobragade with other consulate officers met Richard Richard requested payment of US 10 000 conversion of her Indian diplomatic passport to an India ordinary passport and assistance for getting required US visa for continued stay in United States Indian consulate officers informed Richard that she was required to return to India as she was on an Indian diplomatic passport and that compensation regarding work hours would be settled before departure to India 22 On July 19 2013 Philip Richard husband of Richard filed a petition in Indian court alleging that Khobragade and the Indian government held his wife in police custody in New York and had kept in slavery like conditions or keeping a person in bondage The petition also stated that Uttam Khobragade had called Richard s family in India and threatened them with dire consequences if Richard were to complain 26 The petition was withdrawn four days later 22 Legal action against Richard edit Following the July 8 meeting the Indian government revoked Richard s Indian diplomatic passport with effect from June 22 2013 and informed OFM about the termination of the passport 19 22 On September 4 2013 the US State Department issued a letter to the Indian ambassador to probe the allegation of Richard and for proof of minimum wages paid Following this on September 10 2013 the Indian Ministry of External Affairs lodged strong protest with the US officials regarding the tone and content of the letter Then on September 21 2013 the Indian Embassy sent a reply to the US State Department highlighting that Richard seeks to subvert both Indian and US laws 22 On November 19 2013 based on a complaint lodged by Khobragade a Delhi court issued a non bailable arrest warrant against Richard which was forwarded to US State Department and US embassy for her immediate arrest 22 On December 10 2013 Philip Richard along with two children went to the U S on a T visa this visa permits victims of human trafficking and their close relatives to stay in the U S to testify against those accused of human trafficking crimes 22 27 Indian media claimed that the cost of air tickets for Philip Richard and two children Jennifer and Jatin was paid by the U S Embassy to India 28 Visa fraud charges editOn December 11 2013 Khobragade was charged with visa fraud The charges allege that she committed visa fraud willfully and under penalty of perjury under Title 18 United States Code Section 1546 It further alleges that Khobragade submitted an employment contract to the U S Department of State in support of a visa application filed by Khobragade for another individual which she knew to contain materially false and fraudulent statements 23 The visa fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and the false statements charge carries a maximum sentence of five years 24 Arrest edit Based on the charges filed by a special agent with the US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security the United States magistrate judge Debra Freeman issued an arrest warrant against Khobragade Khobragade was arrested by US Department of State s Diplomatic Security Service on December 12 2013 around 9 30 am after dropping off her daughters at school on West 97th Street in Manhattan 29 Around noon Khobragade was escorted to the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan where she was transferred into the custody of the U S Marshals Service and strip searched by a female deputy marshal in a private setting 30 She was presented before a U S magistrate judge and pleaded not guilty to the charges She was released at 4 p m the same day on a 250 000 recognizance bond She also surrendered her passport 8 After her release Khobragade wrote an email to her colleagues in the Indian Foreign Service where she claimed that she broke down many times owing to the indignities of repeated handcuffing stripping and cavity searches swabbing and to being held with common criminals and drug addicts 31 The next day Indian media sources echoed her claims that after her arrest she was handcuffed strip searched DNA swabbed and subjected to a cavity search 7 32 33 On December 18 2013 Nikki Credic Barrett a spokeswoman for the U S Marshals Service stated that Khobragade was strip searched but not subjected to a cavity search Per agency regulations a strip search can include a visual inspection of body cavities Credic Barrett also stated that anyone taken to holding cells of the New York federal courthouse is automatically subjected to a strip search if they are placed among other prisoners 34 With reference to DNA swabbing Credic Barrett said that the responsibility for collection of a DNA sample was that of the arresting agency US Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security 35 On December 19 2013 Preet Bharara U S Attorney for the Southern District of New York claimed that after her arrest Khobragade was accorded courtesies well beyond what other defendants most of whom are American citizens are accorded 30 For about two hours after her arrest she was allowed to make numerous phone calls in order to arrange for child care and sort out personal matters 30 Post transfer to United Nations edit The Indian government moved Khobragade to a permanent position at the Indian Mission at the United Nations New York in order to provide her with diplomatic immunity 36 37 The US State Department clarified that the full diplomatic immunity which she might receive in that post would not be retroactive 38 On December 23 2013 the United Nations approved a request from India to accredit Khobragade 39 but also stated that US approval was still needed 40 Khobragade was granted an exemption from personally appearing in court for the case 41 Khobragade was granted a G 1 visa by the United States Department of State on January 8 2014 under the terms of Section 15 of the Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and the United States which gave her full diplomatic immunity and would preclude any court jurisdiction over her 42 43 The U S officials said that the State Department had no choice but to grant Khobragade full diplomatic immunity once she was accredited to the United Nations because she did not pose a national security threat 44 Indictment and return to India edit On January 9 2014 a US grand jury indicted her on two counts for visa fraud and making false statements to get a work visa for Sangeeta Richard her housekeeper in New York 45 Preet Bharara later confirmed that the charges against her will remain pending until she can be brought to court to face them either through a waiver of immunity or her return to the US without immunity status 46 Hours after Khobragade was indicted for visa fraud India refused the US request to waive the immunity and transferred her to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi 47 On January 9 2014 Khobragade left the United States by plane to India after first receiving permission from U S District Judge Shira Scheindlin upon the advice of her lawyer Daniel Arshack 48 12 As she left she commented to an American colleague about her own leaving and Mrs and Mr Richard staying by saying that You have lost a good friend It is unfortunate In return you got a maid and a drunken driver They are in and we are out 49 There are other accounts that despite Khobragade s media bravado she was reluctant to leave US and had to be sternly told to return to India by the Indian External Ministry 50 Khobragade s children aged 4 and 7 have remained in the U S with her husband Dr Aakash Singh Rathore who was then a visiting scholar in the department of Arts and Sciences at University of Pennsylvania 51 All three are United States citizens 49 Khobragade may only return to the U S to submit to the jurisdiction of a court 18 Upon returning to India Khobragade expressed that she missed her family 52 I wonder if I will be able to ever reunite with my family my husband my little kids I miss them What if I can never return to the US which I cannot now Does it mean we will never be able to live together as a family again she said 52 On January 13 it was announced that Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh had placed a gag order on Khobragade 53 As of February 9 Khobragade s husband and children were living in the apartment for Devyani Khobragade at the Indian Embassy in Turtle Bay Manhattan creating the unusual situation in which they as American citizens had access to the Indian Embassy and the apartment without living with a diplomat 54 Her husband planned to return to India with the children within two weeks 54 He had received a job offer to teach at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi 54 55 Dismissal and re issuance of indictment edit Dismissal edit On February 8 2014 Khobragade moved for her visa fraud charge to be dismissed reasoning that the country had no authority over her as she was granted diplomatic immunity when the indictment case was filed 56 The prosecution opposed the motion reasoning Having left the U S and returned to India the defendant currently has no diplomatic or consular status in the U S and the consular level immunity that she did have at the relevant times does not give her immunity from the charges in this case crimes arising out of non official acts 57 On March 12 2014 Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered that all charges against Khobragade be dismissed 58 Her ruling noted that Khobragade received diplomatic immunity from the United Nations on January 8 and she held that immunity until January 9 on which day she left the United States 58 Since the indictment was issued on January 9 the court found that the government may not proceed on an indictment obtained when Khobragade was immune from the jurisdiction of the court 58 The order did leave open the possibility that prosecutors could bring a new indictment given that she no longer had immunity having departed the U S 13 14 Immediately after the indictment was dismissed prosecutor Preet Bharara s office stated there is currently no bar to a new indictment against her for her alleged criminal conduct and we intend to proceed accordingly 58 59 Devyani Khobragade s father Uttam Khobragade said They tried to trap Devyani with a false complaint against her I thank the Indian government and the Indians for their cooperation and help She will go back to America with full diplomatic immunity 60 Re issuance of indictment edit On March 14 2014 Khobragade was re indicted on the same charges 15 16 A new warrant for Khobragade s arrest was subsequently issued 61 Salman Khurshid Indian Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs said that the re issuance of an indictment was extremely irksome 62 US diplomat expulsion editOn January 10 the Indian government ordered the expulsion of US diplomat Wayne May because he had assisted Richard s family in securing T visas and traveling to the United States 63 Media sources stated that May had taken unilateral actions in expediting the travel of Richard s family from India and violated various procedures with respect to actions taken related to the case Media sources also quoted disparaging remarks about India and Indian culture made by May and his wife on their personal social media accounts since their posting to New Delhi 64 At the time of his expulsion May was the head of the embassy s diplomatic security contingent managing a staff of 424 security officers including 10 Marine security guards and had been in India since 2010 65 66 The expulsion of a US diplomat by India is viewed as unprecedented In the history of the US India relationships a similar event has happened only once when India blocked appointment of George G B Griffin a Reagan appointee to the post of US political counselor the third ranking post in the United States Embassy 67 Sangeeta Richard s parent s in law worked for Wayne May and he was accused of evacuating Richard s family illegally two days prior to Khobragade s arrest 68 Reactions and effects editKhobragade editIn an email to her Indian diplomatic colleagues released to the media on December 18 2013 Khobragade wrote 31 I am so grateful for all the outpouring of unequivocal support and backing that has been available to me from the fraternity I take comfort in the confidence that this invaluable support will also be translated into strong and swift action to ensure the safety of me and my children as also to preserve the dignity of our service which is unquestionably under siege While I was going through it although I must admit that I broke down many times as the indignities of repeated handcuffing stripping and cavity searches swabbing hold up with common criminals and drug addicts were all being imposed upon me despite my incessant assertions of immunity I got the strength to regain composure and remain dignified thinking that I must represent all of my colleagues and my country with confidence and pride I feel I can continue to do so thanks to this strong and prolific support India edit In India much of criticism of the actions of the US authorities centered on the claims made by Indian media that Khobragade was handcuffed in public subjected to a strip search and made to share a cell with drug addicts 69 Government officials and ministers in India reacted strongly against the arrest of the diplomat and cited the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations whereby diplomats enjoy immunity US government officials maintain that they followed standard procedures and that Khobragade has only consular immunity giving her protection from arrest related to her consular duties but not to crimes committed on US soil India s Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh registered a protest with the US ambassador to India Nancy Jo Powell Powell clarified that immunity from US courts only applies to acts performed in the exercise of consular functions 70 In further protest several senior politicians and officials from Indian government refused to meet the US Congressional delegation that was visiting India at that time These included Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar Minister of Home Affairs Sushilkumar Shinde Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and prime ministerial candidate of NDA for the then upcoming 2014 Indian general elections and Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi 8 7 The US Congressional delegation included representatives George Holding Pete Olson David Schweikert Rob Woodall and Madeleine Bordallo 71 Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha called for the arrest of same sex companions of US diplomats citing the Supreme Court of India s recent upholding of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code 72 73 The Indian government asked US consular officers posted in India to return all identity cards 8 7 On December 17 2013 Delhi Police removed security barricades on the road outside the US Embassy in New Delhi citing need for improvement of traffic flow in that area 74 India has demanded an unconditional apology from the US government 74 and asked the details of the salaries of all domestic help gardeners and other staff employed by US consulates in India to check for inconsistency or frauds 74 India moved to block perks such as alcohol and food imports at concessional rates for embassy employees 75 With new restrictions U S Embassy vehicles will not be immune to traffic violations the restrictions also requires the embassy not to hold Commercial Activities in its premises 76 Indian income tax and immigration authorities are investigating allegations of work permit visa and income tax fraud at the American Embassy School 77 78 79 On December 18 2013 the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh criticized the actions of the US authorities as deplorable 80 Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati complained that the Indian government was not reacting strongly enough asserting that it was insufficiently supportive to Khobragade because she belonged to a Dalit caste 81 Protests took place outside the US consulates in New Delhi 82 Mumbai 82 Chennai 83 and Hyderabad 80 82 84 85 On January 23 2014 Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid raised with US Secretary of State John Kerry the issue of granting US visa to the husband of Sangeeta Richard despite a police case pending against him in a Delhi court 86 On January 29 2014 Indian ambassador to United States S Jaishankar opined that this incident should never have happened and called for the need of greater sensitivity of better understanding and of stronger oversight of ties between two countries 87 On February 13 2014 the front runner 88 in opinion polls to lead the next Indian government Narendra Modi echoed the Indian government s position in calling for a permanent solution to the Devyani Khobragade issue during his talks with the US Ambassador Nancy Powell 89 On March 15 2014 Indian government spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said India was disappointed by the U S Justice Department s second indictment of Khobragade calling the decision to do so unnecessary and warned that Any measures consequent to this decision in the US will unfortunately impact upon efforts on both sides to build the India US strategic partnership to which both sides are committed He added that the Indian government will no longer engage on this case in the United States legal system 90 United States edit On December 18 2013 John Kerry expressed regret over the circumstances regarding the arrest and strip search of the Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and empathized as a father of two daughters at similar age as Khobragade 91 Preet Bharara U S Attorney for the Southern District of New York whose office had filed the charges 92 93 defended the handling of the arrest and custody though his office was not involved He claimed that Khobragade was accorded courtesies well beyond what other defendants most of whom are American citizens are accorded 24 On the evening of December 19 2013 US undersecretary of state for political affairs Wendy Sherman called up Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh to convey regrets regarding the episode Sherman offered a consular dialogue between India and US to resolve the problems of domestic staff and immunity issue 94 Sherman spoke with Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh to stress the importance of ties following the arrest details and pledged to work through the complex issues of the case 95 On December 19 2013 State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters Washington was not pressuring U S law enforcement to drop the case On March 14 2014 when Khobragade was indicted again after a dismissal of the first indictment on March 12 State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters that the State Department stands by the court papers it had filed opposing Khobragade s bid to get the charges dismissed 96 On 28 May 2014 Robert D Blackwill the former US ambassador to India from 2001 to 2003 and currently a Henry A Kissinger senior fellow for US foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations CFR opined that the treatment meted out to Devyani Khobragade and the subsequent impact of the incident on US India relations as giving a new meaning to the word stupid 97 98 Speaking at Harvard Law School in 2014 the U S Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara in the Khobragade case said It was not the crime of the century but a serious crime nonetheless that is why the State Department opened the case that is why the State Department investigated it That is why career agents in the State Department asked career prosecutors in my office to approve criminal charges 99 100 Bharara who was born in India said that he was upset by attacks on him in the Indian press 101 The 2014 State Department s annual Trafficking in Persons TIP report appeared to classify the Khobragade incident as an example of human trafficking stating An Indian consular officer at the New York consulate was indicted in December 2013 for visa fraud related to her alleged exploitation of an Indian domestic worker 102 In response India has shown no urgency to allow visits to India by the newly appointed US anti people trafficking ambassador Susan P Coppedge Indian ambassador to the US Arun K Singh reiterated India s commitment to work within an international framework to tackle the problem of trafficking but rejected any unilateral assessments by another country saying We will never accept it and downplayed the importance of the visits When you ask a U S official when somebody will be given a visa they always say we will assess when visa is applied for I can do no better than to reiterate the U S position 103 Sangeeta Richard edit Sangeeta Richard the domestic worker in the Khobragade case is being represented by Safe Horizon a victim assistance agency On December 20 2013 Dana Sussman staff attorney in the anti trafficking program at Safe Horizon said there was frustration and disappointment that the media and the officials portrayed this story in the way that they have 104 Sussman also denied claims that Richard had sought to extort money from Khobragde after leaving her employment She essentially worked very long hours was isolated within the home and attempted to ask for more time off ask for more reasonable hours but those attempts to resolve the issues were unsuccessful Describing Richard s reaction to the publicity surrounding the case Sussman said It s quite overwhelming for her I think she s been frustrated with the response that somehow has been on the victimization of the defendant 25 In court papers filed in Delhi Richard s husband Phillip alleged that she was required to work from 6 am to 11 pm every day with just two hours off on Sunday to go to church 26 He also claimed that money was deducted from Richard s wages when she fell ill and that Uttam Khobragade Devyani s father had threatened the Richard family with abduction and false drugs allegations if Richard complained about her treatment 26 In January 2014 several days after Sangeeta and her husband had started to live together in US the couple filed for divorce 105 Domestic worker groups edit On December 20 a group of nearly fifty people representing migrant domestic workers protested for an hour outside the Indian Consulate in New York City Among the rights groups were Safe Horizon the victim assistance agency representing Richard the National Domestic Workers Alliance Damayan Migrant Workers Association and the National Guestworker Alliance Yomara Velez of the National Domestic Workers Alliance said We are calling for a fair trial and compensation for Richard There is a larger issue here about diplomatic immunity and about how do we provide basic labour protections for all domestic workers not just in the US but globally as well 106 See also editNannygateReferences edit This article renders her family as Richard Some sources including some cited in this article render her name as Richards Who is Devyani Khobragade The Times of India Indian Diplomatic Row Devyani Khobragade Arrest to Be Reviewed Time Harris Gardiner December 17 2013 Diplomat s Arrest in New York The New York Times Retrieved December 17 2013 Indian official Diplomat s arrest in NYC barbaric Associated Press Retrieved December 29 2013 US admits diplomat Devyani Khobragade strip searched as India launches reprisals over arrest Australian Broadcasting Company Retrieved December 29 2013 a b c d Row deepens BBC December 17 2013 Retrieved December 17 2013 a b c d India takes US head on The Economic Times December 17 2013 Retrieved December 17 2013 India accuses US of immigration fraud transfers Devyani to permanent mission at UN The Times of India December 18 2013 Ghosh Deepshikha January 10 2014 Devyani Khobragade gets full diplomatic immunity on her way to India NDTV Retrieved January 11 2014 Devyani Khobragade Case India refuses US request to waive immunity NDTV a b c Neumeister Larry Lee Matthew January 9 2014 Strip Searched Diplomat Indicted on Fraud Charge ABC News Associated Press Retrieved January 10 2014 a b Devyani Khobragade Diplomat row charges dropped in US BBC March 13 2014 Retrieved March 13 2014 a b Jonathan Stempel and Shyamantha Asokan March 13 2014 UPDATE 3 Indian diplomat in U S row wins indictment dismissal Reuters Retrieved March 13 2014 permanent dead link a b Indian Diplomat Re Indicted in US Visa Fraud Case ABC News Associated Press March 14 2014 Retrieved March 14 2014 a b Indian diplomat re indicted in US visa fraud case Reuters March 14 2014 Archived from the original on July 11 2016 Retrieved March 14 2014 More skeletons tumble out of Devyani Khobragade s cupboard December 23 2013 a b Narayan Lakshman January 11 2014 U S offered reduced charge of misdemeanour The Hindu Chennai India Retrieved January 11 2014 a b c Who is Sangeeta Richard The Times of India December 20 2013 Archived from the original on December 23 2013 Govt says Devyani victim of conspiracy accuses US of facilitating visa fraud Arora Kamna December 18 2013 India moves Devyani Khobragade to UN accuses US of committing visa fraud Zee News Retrieved December 18 2013 a b c d e f g h i j k l Parashar Sachin December 18 2013 Timeline of Devyani Khobragade case The Times of India Archived from the original on December 21 2013 Retrieved December 23 2013 a b c d e Mathur Aneesha Leading to Devyani s arrest a verbal deal and two contracts Archived from the original on December 19 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 a b c Arrest strip search of Indian diplomat in New York triggers uproar CNN December 19 2013 a b c Lawyer Sangeeta Richard did not extort money from Devyani Khobragade The Economic Times December 20 2013 Archived from the original on December 21 2013 Retrieved December 20 2013 a b c The Other Side of the Story Outlook India Retrieved December 27 2013 P T I December 18 2013 Was US govt aware of whereabouts of Devyani Khobragade s maid The Economic Times Retrieved December 23 2013 P T I December 24 2013 Devyani Khobragade case US embassy paid for air tickets of domestic help s family say sources NDTV Retrieved December 24 2013 Devyani Khobragade reveals how she broke down after stripping and cavity searches as row between U S and India deepens National Post December 18 2013 Retrieved December 18 2013 a b c Bharara Preet December 19 2013 Statement Of Manhattan U S Attorney Preet Bharara On U S v Devyani Khobragade Press release New York City New York USA The United States Attorneys Office Southern District of New York Retrieved December 23 2013 a b Booth William December 18 2013 Devyani Khobragade letter to her colleagues The full text The Washington Post Retrieved December 27 2013 Diplomat row Devyani Khobragade detained with sex workers and drug addicts put through cavity search DNA India Devyani Khobragade put through cavity search because her crime of visa fraud is a felony Zee News December 18 2013 Retrieved December 18 2013 Kerry expresses regret over strip search of arrested Indian diplomat CBS News Devyani Khobragade not subjected to cavity search claim US Marshals DNA via Press Trust of India December 19 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Devyani Khobragade transferred to UN mission can apply for full diplomatic immunity NDTV com December 18 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Devyani Khobragade case As it happened on Wednesday zeenews india com December 18 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Lakshman Narayan December 21 2013 No retroactive immunity for Devyani says U S The Hindu Chennai India Retrieved December 23 2013 U N approves India s request to accredit diplomat charged by U S Reuters December 23 2013 Accused Indian diplomat needs US OK for UN job Washington Post Associated Press December 23 2013 Archived from the original on December 24 2013 Retrieved December 24 2013 Thaw in India US stand off over Devyani Khobragade issue Diplomatic immunity to Dr Devayani Khobragade Mea gov in Retrieved January 10 2013 Devyani Khobragade back in Delhi after hard negotiations India expels US diplomat in tit for tat action NDTV Retrieved January 10 2014 Jethro Mullen and Harmeet Shah Singh January 10 2014 India asks U S to withdraw official from its embassy in New Delhi source says CNN Retrieved January 10 2014 Burke Jason Roberts Dan January 10 2014 Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade leaves US under immunity The Guardian January 10 2014 Tit for tat expulsions India orders US diplomat to leave country The Times of India Retrieved January 10 2014 Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade arrives in New Delhi from New York following Indo US diplomatic row India Today Retrieved January 10 2014 Reuters Timeline Diplomatic Flurry in Indian Envoy s Final Hours in U S gt The New York Times January 9 2014 a b Barry Ellen Weiser Benjamin January 10 2014 As Indian Diplomat Exits After Arrest a Culture Clash Lingers The New York Times New York ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved January 13 2014 Kapoor Coomi January 26 2014 Stories from the most dramatic democracy in the world The Indian Express Indian Express Retrieved January 31 2014 Dr Aakash Singh Rathore Archived from the original on December 25 2013 Retrieved January 10 2014 a b Wonder if I will ever reunite with my family Devyani Khobragade says The Times of India January 12 2014 Retrieved January 12 2014 14 more maids in US threat of Devyani rerun looms The Times of India January 14 2014 Retrieved January 13 2014 a b c Nayar K P February 10 2014 JNU to diplomatic rescue telegraphindia com Calcutta India Archived from the original on March 2 2014 Retrieved March 16 2014 Devyani s husband to teach at JNU kids coming too Hindustan Times February 11 2014 Archived from the original on February 17 2014 Retrieved March 16 2014 Lakshman Narayan February 8 2014 Devyani seeks dismissal of visa fraud case in U S court IANS Chennai India The Hindu Retrieved February 8 2014 Narayan Lakshman February 2 2014 Devyani s immunity a fabrication Bharara The Hindu Chennai India Retrieved February 8 2014 a b c d Debucquoy Dodley Dominique March 13 2014 Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade indicted again cnn com Retrieved March 16 2014 CNN IBN staff March 13 2014 US court dismisses indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade ibnlive in com Archived from the original on March 13 2014 Retrieved March 16 2014 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help staff writer March 13 2014 India welcomes dismissal of visa fraud charges against Devyani Khobragade The Times of India Retrieved March 16 2014 Arrest warrant issued against Khobragade in US visa fraud case The Hindu Chennai India PTI March 15 2014 Retrieved March 15 2014 staff writer March 16 2014 Khobragade incident extremely irksome time for closure Salman Khurshid The Times of India Retrieved March 16 2014 Devyani case Sangeeta s in laws had worked with expelled US diplomat The Times of India 2014 Retrieved January 12 2014 Rajghatta Chidanand January 13 2014 Wayne s World Was expelled US official a bleeding heart or an Ugly American The Times of India Retrieved January 13 2014 Emily Pehrsson March 23 2011 On the Front Lines Diplomatic Security in the 21st Century PDF The Monitor Journal of International Studies College of William and Mary Archived from the original PDF on January 12 2014 Retrieved January 12 2014 Rama Lakshmi and Karen DeYoung January 11 2014 India demands ouster of us diplomat allegedly involved in nanny pay dispute Washington Post Retrieved January 11 2014 Bernard Gwertzman September 2 1981 India Bars Senior U s Diplomat Stirring a Dispute The New York Times Retrieved January 12 2014 Richard Family Flight Plan Drawn Up By Nexus of US Diplomats The New Indian Express dead link Devyani Khobragade India US diplomat row escalates BBC News December 17 2013 Parashar Sachin December 15 2013 India US fight over Devyani Khobragade s immunity The Times of India Archived from the original on December 16 2013 Magnier Mark December 17 2013 India snubs U S delegation withdraws security over diplomat s arrest Los Angeles Times Buncombe Andrew December 17 2013 India US row over arrest of diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York escalates The Independent London Punish US diplomats with same sex companions Yashwant Sinha Business Standard December 17 2013 a b c India demands apology Firstpost India Retrieved December 17 2013 India blocks cheap booze for US diplomats after envoy s arrest and strip search in NYC World News India targets American diplomats privileges following envoy s strip search Fox News January 8 2014 I T dept discreetly probing US embassy school Hindustan Times February 9 2014 Archived from the original on February 10 2014 Harris Gardiner Weiser Benjamin January 16 2014 American Embassy School in India Ensnared in U S Diplomatic Spat The New York Times India awaits info from US embassy will take action Press Trust of India February 5 2014 a b Diplomat arrest PM says US action deplorable Khurshid smells rat Hindustan Times New Delhi December 18 2013 Archived from the original on December 20 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Govt approach on diplomat issue shows anti dalit mentality Mayawati The Times of India December 18 2013 a b c Anti US protests in India The Times of India Indian diplomat row Congress workers protest outside US Consulate General campus Daily News and Analysis Chennai December 18 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Protest near US Consulate over Ill Treatment of Diplomat Hyderabad The New Indian Express December 17 2013 Archived from the original on December 21 2013 Retrieved December 19 2013 Devyani Khobragade s father aspired for berth in RS daughter has Adarsh flat amp more December 19 2013 India raises Issue of US Visa to Sangeeta Richard s Family with John Kerry IANS Biharprabha News Retrieved January 23 2014 Devyani Khobragade Incident should never have happened Indian Ambassador IANS Biharprabha News Retrieved January 30 2014 US Ends Boycott of Indian Opposition Leader Voice of America VoA February 13 2014 Retrieved February 13 2014 Modi brings up ill treatment of Devyani Khobragade in meeting with US Ambassador Indian Express News February 13 2014 Retrieved February 13 2014 India says disappointed at US re indictment of diplomat AFP March 15 2014 Retrieved March 15 2014 John Kerry was aware of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade s arrest US State Department India Today Brar Namrata December 17 2013 Indian diplomat arrested in US for alleged visa fraud handcuffed in public NDTV com Brar Namrata December 13 2013 India summons US ambassador to protest diplomat being handcuffed NDTV com Diplomat s arrest US distances itself from Preet Bharara s comments India wants apology case dropped The Times of India U S tries again to calm India over accused diplomat Reuters December 19 2013 Booth William March 14 2014 New indictment filed against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in U S visa fraud case Washington Post Retrieved March 15 2014 The New Indian Government Video of Panel Discussion Council on Foreign Relations CFR May 28 2014 Archived from the original on May 31 2014 Retrieved May 30 2014 Blackwill Robert May 29 2014 US To Warm Up To India After Prime Minister Modi s Win Bernama Archived from the original on May 31 2014 Retrieved May 29 2014 Preet Bharara talks Khobragade case at Harvard Law School Press Trust of India India Today June 1 2014 Bharara talks Khobragade case Press Trust of India New York Business Standard June 2 2014 Bharara says upset by criticism Press Trust of India New York The Indian Express June 1 2014 Devyani Khobragade featured in U S human trafficking report The Hindu June 21 2014 India blocks visits by U S officials despite warmer ties Reuters November 20 2015 Lakshman Narayan December 20 2013 Devyani grossly underpaid domestic worker say lawyers The Hindu Chennai India Retrieved December 20 2013 Devyani Khobragade s help husband cite differences file for divorce March 12 2014 Khobragade affair Protests for Sangeeta Richard in New York against US in Chennai Hindustan Times December 21 2013 Archived from the original on December 23 2013 Retrieved December 21 2013 External links editIndictment exhibits and related letter U S v Devyani Khobragade Court order dismissing the first indictment in March 2014 Why Indian American sympathy appears to lie with narrative of the housekeeper a narrative from The Economic Times Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Devyani Khobragade incident amp oldid 1218872339, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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