With India-US ties on an upswing, Devyani Khobragade finds herself abandoned

[Zarvan]

10 months after arrest, Devyani Khobragade recounts trauma

NEW DELHI: In the one year since Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched in New York, India-US relations as well as her own life look very different. Bilateral ties are on an upswing, while the diplomat at the centre of the storm faces a vigilance probe from the Indian government.

The arrest, on December 12, 2013, jolted the Indian system and popular consciousness. A storm of protests led to India ramming through changes in the way US diplomats live and do business in India — from withdrawal of priority airport passes and immunity for US diplomats to forcing them to change the slightly dodgy ways of the American embassy school. India-US ties, already tottering for some time, nosedived.

Meetings and visits were cancelled, hot words exchanged at high levels. The incident was one of the reasons for the premature recall of US envoy Nancy Powell.

Fast forward to December 2014. Bilateral ties have seen a near complete turnaround, with a new regime in India determined to change ties with the US. Select Indian diplomats will now be able to take their domestic helps along on A-2 visas. Barack Obama is preparing to be the first US president to be a Republic Day chief guest.
As India-US ties thaw, Devyani Khobragade speaks out

For Devyani, life took a very different path. "This year has been extremely challenging and traumatic for me. Not only do I now have a criminal case on me based on false charges and an arrest warrant in a foreign country, this has had severe repercussion for my family which is now divided between India and the US. In addition to this personal cost, it has also affected my professional career," she told TOI.

Devyani Khobragade in Mumbai. (TOI file photo by Uma Kadam)

The Indian demand to the US to drop the case against her has not gone anywhere. The US state department has directed India to their justice department. Quietly, Indians have been told to cool their heels until Preet Bharara, the New York prosecutor who went after Khobragade, demits office in 2016. With India-US ties looking up, the Indian government too has let up the diplomatic pressure after Devyani was brought back to India.

Devyani has all but lost the support of her own system. The Centre has moved a vigilance case against her for hiding the fact that her children have US passports as well as Indian. Without confirming the case against her, Devyani clarified she has not broken any law.

READ ALSO: Devyani Khobragade re-indicted in US visa fraud case

"Under extant Indian laws, my children are entitled to dual citizenship until 18 years of age. As their father is an American national, as per US laws, my children are also US citizens and will remain so unless they decide to renounce that citizenship after acquiring an appropriate age. They had to acquire US passports despite having Indian passports as the only travel document available to my children to travel to the US. No country gives visas to their own citizens. Therefore, the US passports were being used by them only as a visa/travel document to visit the US. This is permissible and even advised by FRRO."

Devyani Khobragade with her father Uttam Khobragade. (TOI file photo by Uma Kadam)

When she gave an interview to a TV channel recently, she was ticked off. Devyani joins Neena Malhotra, another IFS officer also virtually abandoned by the system as she battles a similar case in New York. Devyani cannot be posted out as long as the MEA probe continues. She cannot return to the US as she is liable to be arrested again, as she no longer enjoys diplomatic immunity.

READ ALSO: Devyani Khobragade issue not closed yet, India tells US

She said, "The stated position of government is the case will be resolved through a political solution, and that we will not submit to the jurisdiction of the US court ... I expect and hope that my ministry will resolve the issue expeditiously."
With India-US ties on an upswing, Devyani Khobragade finds herself abandoned - The Times of India