Devyani Khobragade gets full diplomatic immunity, flies back home

[janon]

New Delhi/New York: Diplomat Devyani Khobragade left for India on Friday after a deal between the India and US in which she was granted diplomatic immunity from charges of alleged visa fraud and lying about underpaying her domestic help. Her arrest and alleged humiliation nearly a month ago had strained ties between the two countries.

1. After weeks of escalating tensions, India and the US reached an agreement under which Devyani Khobragade leaves the country but still faces charges if she returns.
2. The 39-year-old diplomat was on Thursday granted a G1 visa by the US, which gives her full diplomatic immunity.
   
   
3. India rejected America's request to waive Ms Khobragade's diplomatic immunity, after which she was asked to exit the country, leaving her children behind. (read:India refuses US request to waive immunity)
   
   
4. India had transferred her to the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations to enable her G-visa, which is issued to foreign government representatives working in international organisations in the US.
   
   
5. A US grand jury indicted her on Wednesday for visa fraud and making false statements to get a work visa for Sangeeta Richard, her housekeeper in New York. (Read: Indian diplomat arrested in US for alleged visa fraud)
   
   
6. The charges against Devyani Khobragade will remain pending and she will have to face trial if she returns to America without diplomatic immunity, US Attorney Preet Bharara has said.
   
   
7. Before leaving for India, Ms Khobragade asserted that she was innocent. "All charges against me are false and baseless," she said. The diplomat, whose children are still in the US, said she was determined to ensure that the episode did not leave a lasting imprint on her family. (read: Devyani Khobragade's statement)
   
   
8. Her father Uttam Khobragade said in Delhi, "Devyani was fighting to uphold the sovereignty of this country. When alternatives were offered she sacrificed the personal comfort."
   
   
9. Ms Khobragade was arrested on December 12 while dropping her children off at school in New York, where she was serving as deputy consul general. She was strip searched and held with criminals, triggering a massive row with India unleashing retaliatory measures to downgrade the privileges of American diplomats. (Devyani Khobragade case: US embassy asked to stop commercial activities)
   
   
10. Ms Khobragade's former domestic help Sangeeta Richard has made a statement justifying her allegations of exploitation. "I never thought that things would get so bad here, that I would work so much that I did not have time to sleep or eat or have time to myself. I would like to tell other domestic workers who are suffering as I did - you have rights and do not let anyone exploit you." Her statement was released by the anti-trafficking group Safe Horizon.

 

[thesolar65]

India got its diplomat back and US got an illegal maid and her driver husband and kid to take care of.......

 

[Cherokee]

India got its diplomat back and US got an illegal maid and her driver husband and kid to take care of.......

Nothing to laugh about . This Bitch is nasty . Lets see if she gets prosecuted in adarsh gaffe or not .

 

[thesolar65]

Nothing to laugh about . This Bitch is nasty . Lets see if she gets prosecuted in adarsh gaffe or not .

I am laughing at US Policy and not support Devyani and would like to see her prosecuted if involved.

 

[Developereo]

Exactly as I predicted...

 

[Cherokee]

Exactly as I predicted...

What exactly did you predict ? Can you re-iterate it .

 

[Developereo]

What exactly did you predict ? Can you re-iterate it .

Here

The Justice department and NY prosecutors mean business, but the State department is looking for a way out. They have different priorities; the DOJ is concerned with domestic law enforcement, State is concerned with forging international relations to serve US interests.

All this blustering is for the US media because the State department can't be seen to undermine justice and contradict other parts of the government. Once the spotlight is off, the State department will find a way to soothe India.

and

I will repeat my prediction that the State department will throw Bharara under the bus and find some way to save Khobragade.

and a few other places...

 

[IND151]

Very good news

 

[Jade]

Exactly as I predicted...

The whole episode would not have been taken that seriously by India if US marshals were little bit more civil

 

[JAT BALWAN]

Good....

Now put that corrupt b!tch behind bars in adarsh scam ...

 

[Anees]

The real issue is not that Devyanni is guilty or not, the real issue is that the maid servant around whom this whole episode revolves she and who her extended family has been given full residency rights in USA, and also the US travel documents, a common priviledge which is only the ex-spies working for the Govt. of United States overseas are potentially given, and whose actual lives are deemed threatened if they were exposed internationally. This is a permanent residency status which many normal Indians acquire after many years of patiently waiting after making a formal application. I do sense a pre-mediated conspiracy in this whole affair and may this young lady who was engaged by her as a maid who had previously worked as maid for another UN mission in USA and later got fired was indeed an international spy designed to plant bugs and get needed info on the India diplomatic personnel. It is good that Indian Govt. stood up to this US manipulations where invisible hands were evidently involved. Let us think and look at the facts before you take sides !

 

[Developereo]

The whole episode would not have been taken that seriously by India if US marshals were little bit more civil

Sure, but once it became a game of chicken, it was always clear which side would blink first.

The stronger opponent can afford to 'lose face' and shrug it off, but the weaker opponent will resent it for a long time. The damage to the relationship was never worth it and, on balance, it was clear the State department would favor US national interests (i.e. relationship with India) over some New York prosecutor (given the non-lethal nature of the crime).

The only Americans chest thumping were those with a romantic, rather than pragmatic and realistic, view of the American government..

 

[me_itsme]

Now prosecute her here. She cant be let out scot free.

 

[Jade]

Sure, but once it became a game of chicken, it was always clear which side would blink first.

The stronger opponent can afford to 'lose face' and shrug it off, but the weaker opponent will resent it for a long time. The damage to the relationship was never worth it and, on balance, it was clear the State department would favor US national interests (i.e. relationship with India) over some New York prosecutor (given the non-lethal nature of the crime).

The only Americans chest thumping were those with a romantic, rather than pragmatic and realistic, view of the American government..

In India too, there was lot of criticism on how India handled the issue. There were questions whether the case was worth the US-India relations.

 

[janon]

Now prosecute her here. She cant be let out scot free.

What she was prosecuted for in the US is not a crime under Indian law, and therefore she cannot be prosecuted here. If you are talking about the Adarsh scam, that's a different matter.

Sure, but once it became a game of chicken, it was always clear which side would blink first.

The stronger opponent can afford to 'lose face' and shrug it off, but the weaker opponent will resent it for a long time. The damage to the relationship was never worth it and, on balance, it was clear the State department would favor US national interests (i.e. relationship with India) over some New York prosecutor (given the non-lethal nature of the crime).

The only Americans chest thumping were those with a romantic, rather than pragmatic and realistic, view of the American government..

There was more to it than that. The governent of India compiled a huge list of illegal activities by American diplomats, consuls and their families, ranging from tax evasion to working without permit (in breach of diplomatic visa) to screening films that haven't passed the censor board (a crime on Indian soil) to selling duty free liqour imported through diplomatic channels at market prices to people not entitled to it. India threatened to prosecute each and every one of their consuls and families for these violations, to drive home the point that both countries (and indeed, all other countries) have always turned a blind eye to some practices by diplomats and consuls. This was a case of an attorney (Preet Bhara) being overzealous in his effort to move up the professional ladder. He may have sealed the nails on his career's coffin with this ill conceived stunt.