New York:
The United Nations today said it has received official notification from India to register diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who was arrested on visa fraud charges in New York City last week, as a member of the country's Permanent Mission there and the request will be processed according to "standard procedures".
"The United Nations has received notification to register Devyani Khobragade as a member of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations. The United Nations is processing this request per its standard procedures," Acting Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq told PTI.
Haq, however, said he had no comment on whether the criminal charges against Khobragade would impact her getting a UN accreditation or whether she would now enjoy full diplomatic immunity in the case.
"I have nothing further to say at this time," he said. Haq also did not comment on whether the UN has been asked to weigh in the issue, which has snowballed into a major diplomatic row between the US and India and whether UN officials have been asked to weigh in on the Law of Treaties or Consular Relations under the Vienna Convention regarding her treatment by the US authorities.
India had said it transferred Khobragade, the deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in New York, from the Consulate in the city to its Permanent Mission at the UN to give her full diplomatic immunity.
A 1999-batch IFS officer, Khobragade was arrested on December 12 on visa fraud charges as she was dropping her daughter to school and released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.