Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case

[BanglaBhoot]

The Times of India - March 15, 2014

NEW YORK: Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest and stripsearch soured India-US relations, was re-indicted on US visa fraud charges, a day after a US court dismissed an earlier indictment.

In fresh trouble for Khobragade, federal prosecutors re-indicted the Indian diplomat on charges of visa fraud and making false statements about the visa application of her domestic help.

A grand jury has returned a true bill today on the two-count criminal indictment of Khobragade.

The fresh indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan also charges that Khobragade submitted to the US state department an employment contract of her domestic worker which she knew contained "materially false and fraudulent statements."

The 21- page indictment states that the diplomat "knowingly made" multiple false representations and presented false information to US authorities in order to obtain a visa for a personal domestic worker.

The indictment said that "Khobragade did not want to pay the victim the required wages under US law or provide the victim with other protections against exploitative work conditions mandated by US law.

"Knowing that if the US authorities were told the truth about the actual terms of her employment agreement with the victim, Khobragade would not have been able to obtain a visa for the victim, Khobragade decided to make false statements to the US authorities," it said.

The diplomat, who was transferred back to India and is now with the ministry of external affairs, has refuted the charges against her. The indictment gives details of the employment contract that Khobragade entered into with her domestic help Sangeeta Richard.

It further states that Khobragade "illegally underpaid and exploited the victim."

The indictment said the diplomat kept Richard's passport with her and said she would return the passport to the maid once her three-year term of employment was completed.

It also states that "escalating efforts" were made by Khobragde and others "to silence and intimidate the victim and her family and lie to Indian authorities and courts."

Devyani Khobragade was arrested on December 12 outside her children's New York school.

Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case - The Times of India

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I don't get it, why is America suddenly doing all this against India, not only to Indian diplomats, but even threatening Trade Sanctions against their economy? Not to mention the change in the media reporting on India.

These kinds of things are just tools in America's bag of tricks, and they have a very big bag of tricks, being the sole world hegemon.

Or maybe their "experts" are just busy, working full time on analyzing Putin's body language, and turning on people's microphones so they can hear us sneezing.

 

[Pakistanisage]

US is showing NO RESPECT for India.......

 

[idune]

Wasn't there indians calling US kneel down when initial charge was dropped? This is getting better by days.

 

[Contrarian]

I don't get it, why is America suddenly doing all this against India, not only to Indian diplomats, but even threatening Trade Sanctions against their economy? Not to mention the change in the media reporting on India.

These kinds of things are just tools in America's bag of tricks, and they have a very big bag of tricks, being the sole world hegemon.

Or maybe their "experts" are just busy, working full time on analyzing Putin's body language, and turning on people's microphones so they can hear us sneezing.

Because US has done quite a lot for India.

Unfortunately, they assume that we are like any other country in the region. Just because US has done India a lot of good, does not mean that we will compromise on Indian interests for their sake. We are not Pakistan. India only cooperates with US when it suits Indian interests. Not otherwise.

 

[Manvantaratruti]

Because US has done quite a lot for India.

Unfortunately, they assume that we are like any other country in the region. Just because US has done India a lot of good, does not mean that we will compromise on Indian interests for their sake. We are not Pakistan. India only cooperates with US when it suits Indian interests. Not otherwise.

Done a lot ? ....... you don't say.

Last time I checked they have only Partially Removed the Nuclear Apartheid which they had enforced in the first place

Were you expecting India to be grateful for first discriminating against us and then PARTIALLY removing that discrimination ?

 

[Contrarian]

Done a lot ? ....... you don't say.

Last time I checked they have only Partially Removed the Nuclear Apartheid which they had enforced in the first place

Were you expecting India to be grateful for first discriminating against us and then PARTIALLY removing that discrimination ?

In this world - might is right.
The nuclear apartheid system is prevalent. And no one else was willing to change it for us.
US ended it for India.
The question now is that there is no free lunch in life. India in turn turned down the IPI deal as well as rewarded US with billions of dollars of weapon sales(initially it was designed to reward US with billions of dollars worth of nuclear plant sales, but because of liability law, that did not work out).

So my point - India acts in Indian interests. If US thought that just because they are on good terms with India and because they have truly done something out of the ordinary for India, we would accept everything blindly like our neighbours do...then they are wrong.

And India has retaliated at each step of the way whether it was a fight over trade rights, or climate change conferences or the Khobaragade incident.

 

[joekrish]

I still think the case against DK is a bag of hot air, at the end of this episode America would not gain anything at all.

 

[Manvantaratruti]

In this world - might is right.
The nuclear apartheid system is prevalent. And no one else was willing to change it for us.
US ended it for India.
The question now is that there is no free lunch in life. India in turn turned down the IPI deal as well as rewarded US with billions of dollars of weapon sales(initially it was designed to reward US with billions of dollars worth of nuclear plant sales, but because of liability law, that did not work out).

So my point - India acts in Indian interests. If US thought that just because they are on good terms with India and because they have truly done something out of the ordinary for India, we would accept everything blindly like our neighbours do...then they are wrong.

And India has retaliated at each step of the way whether it was a fight over trade rights, or climate change conferences or the Khobaragade incident.

Absolute Nonsense.

It was the US which started the Nuclear Apartheid specifically to target India when we when nuclear. They were the one who stirred up trouble and built up the global consensus that was aimed specifically against India.

So far US as done NOTHING except partially reverse its earlier enmity with India. However the list of things where US acts against our National Interests is very LONG.

Might is right, but the US is not so mighty anymore and India is MUCH stronger than it was in the 1960's.

If there is no free lunch, US is not getting any either.

I still think the case against DK is a bag of hot air, at the end of this episode America would not gain anything at all.

Its called Leverage, they are just playing dirty.

 

[Contrarian]

Might is right, but the US is not so mighty anymore and India is MUCH stronger than it was in the 1960's.

If there is no free lunch, US is not getting any either.

And where do you think I said that US did a favour to us? What they did for us was repaid in kind by ditching IPI and then buying the billions of dollars worth of hardware from them.

They expected India to act servile and comply to their needs. And we dont do that gig, that is for some one else.

Basically they thought they could take India for granted. They wont be making that mistake again.

 

[joekrish]

Its called Leverage, they are just playing dirty.

well........i so wish we pay them back with the same coin.

 

[Android]

Good such incidents are needed as it will constantly serve as a reminder for our post Cold war leadership that US is an enemy state

 

[jbond197]

Think about it just because they are diplomats they can indulge in frauds. I am making this as a generic statement applicable to Indian as well as American diplomats.

 

[BanglaBhoot]

Like I give a SHIT ..

Indians not giving a SHIT and this is already on two pages in 15 minutes ... Indians obviously not giving a SHIT.

 

[jbond197]

Good such incidents are needed as it will constantly serve as a reminder for our post Cold war leadership that US is an enemy state

Sorry, It's not a state action. This is an individual's action and Court is working on it. The root of the problem is not US govt but the way she brought maid to US and then mistreated her. It was her sheer arrogance and for that she and her family is paying the price.

Not only this, she even got both Indian and US passport for their kids. That is criminal as it is against Indian laws as well.

The family is also involved in adarsh scam. Her dad is Congressi stooge.