Devyani Khobragade (file pic)
Ignoring assertions by unnamed US officials that the case against senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade will not be withdrawn, India today said it would continue to "seriously" pursue any misuse of diplomatic privileges by the US diplomats in India.
Dismissing reports from New York quoting US officials to say that they are going ahead with the indictment of Khobragade on charges of visa fraud, the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said in "pluralistic democracy" there were many voices but the government will respond to "designated channel" which was US State Department in this case.
He said the US State Department has conveyed that a process was on to look into the entire arrest incident and India was "awaiting for an authorised response" and asserted that there was a "reflection of regret" which was conveyed both by US Secretary of State John Kerry and the State Department.
Asked about delay in submission of details by the US Embassy about the Indian staff employed by its missions and individual US diplomats, he said, the government was still awaiting details required the Embassy, which has requested some more time in view of the holiday season.
"We are processing lot of information and variety of thoughts and make no mistake, we are serious about processing and pursuing this matter," he said.
India's demand for these submissions was made in the wake of the arrest and strip-search of Khobragade, the 39-year-old 1999-batch IFS officer, on December 12 on the charges of underpaying her domestic help.
Meanwhile, the ministry was also investigating the "leads" it has got on the misuse of diplomatic privilege in signing-off the tax exemption for the air ticket purchased to "evacuate" from here to New York the family of Khobragade's absconding domestic help Sangeeta Richard.
It is understood that the government knows the identity of the US diplomat who has used his privilege to sign-off the tax exemption for Sangeeta's family. It is now investigating as to who purchased the ticket, which was issued by the official travel agent of the US Embassy.
Asked if the UN had informed the US State Department that the Indian diplomat had full immunity at the time of arrest as she was accredited as "Adviser" to it, the Spokesperson said,"I will find it very surprising that an international organisation does not, periodically, inform host government about those who they have accredited".
Since the UN accreditation happened on August 26, it is assumed that the host country was aware of Khobragade's status, he said, adding that the Indian diplomat repeatedly kept telling the US authorities at the time of arrest that she has diplomatic immunity as the Deputy Consul General.
No point in time was she asked if she had additional immunity, the Spokesperson said, asserting that the "victim (Khobragade) cannot be blamed" for not talking about her additional immunity.
He also noted that government has "set in motion" the process of monitoring and assessing the inputs and details it has sought from American Embassy by setting up a special group, comprising inter-divisional experts, including from legal, financial and human resources departments of MEA which will meet regularly and "may be on daily basis, if need be".
With India deciding to enforce strict reciprocity about the privileges enjoyed by American diplomats posted in the country, the government has withdrawn extra privileges enjoyed by American Ambassador Nancy Powell and other diplomats such as special access at Indian airports.