Devyani Khobragade issue not closed yet, India tells US

[Brahmos_2]

NEW DELHI: Ignoring the US viewpoint, India has refused to consider the Devyani Khobragade episode as "closed", saying there are "residual" issues which need to be addressed.

Foreign secretary Sujatha Singh said India has made its expectations clear to the US on the issue and hoped that it will be resolved.

"There are residual issues," she told PTI in an interview when asked whether the Khobragade episode was a closed chapter as was being treated by the US. However, she refused to elaborate further on what steps were needed from the US to satisfy India.

Singh said the US interlocutors were conveyed India's expectations on the issue and expressed unhappiness over the filing of second indictment against Khobragade on charges of visa fraud. "We would have preferred that it (second indictment) did not happen," she said.

A 1999-batch IFS officer, Khobragade was arrested in New York on December 12 last and was strip-searched, triggering a row between the two countries with India retaliating by downgrading privileges of certain category of US diplomats among other steps.

Khobragade was released on a $250,000 bond and was later granted full diplomatic immunity following which she flew back to India on January 10. She has since been transferred to the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi.

Though, the first indictment against her was rejected by a US court, prosecutors last month re-indicted her on visa fraud charges and accused the diplomat of "illegally" underpaying and "exploiting" her domestic maid.

Devyani Khobragade issue not closed yet, India tells US - The Times of India

 

[AGHORI]

hmmm....Congress grew balls because of elections i guess

 

[pt1982]

hmmm....Congress grew balls because of elections i guess

Congress has always the ball whether during the freedom movement, as a NAM founder during cold war or carving out its own space after the cold war. There is not a single instance where India has done anything against its national interest. We have a consistent foreign policy.

 

[VCheng]

Ms Khobragade is not the only diplomat in trouble because of human trafficking laws:

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year | Mail Online

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year

• Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia pleaded guilty to alien harboring
• The couple illegally snuck the victim into America to be their housemaid
• The Moroccan woman, who worked there for three years, was never paid
• The couple instead paid just $8500 towards the victim's home in Morocco

A former Moroccan diplomat and his wife are facing up to five years in prison after illegally sneaking a woman into America so she could work as their servant - for free.

Former Moroccan diplomat Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia, from Alexandria, Virginia, refused to pay the victim a salary, despite forcing her to work up to 60 hours per week as their private housemaid.

Instead, the husband and wife - who reportedly seized the victim's passport - paid just $8500 towards the woman's apartment in Morocco while she was employed between December 2007 and December 2010.

A picture of who is thought to be Abdelkader Amal, left, and his wife Hnia, right. The couple, from Alexandria, Virginia, have admitted bringing a Moroccan woman into America under a fraudulent visa. They are pictured here with their daughter Mariam Amal, who is not involved in the case



The Department of Justice said the couple now face a lengthy prison sentence, as well as a $250,000 fine, after admitting bringing the Moroccan woman into America under 'false pretenses'.

Mr Amal, who worked as a diplomat at the Moroccan embassy in Washington D.C., and his wife, who runs a cleaning company from their home, pleaded guilty at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to a charge of alien harboring.

A spokesman for the DOJ said: 'The guilty plea stemmed from evidence that Abdelkader and Hnia Amal unlawfully brought a woman into the United States from Morocco and then kept the woman in their home as a domestic servant for three years.'

 

[Indo-guy]

Ms Khobragade is not the only diplomat in trouble because of human trafficking laws:

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year | Mail Online

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year

• Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia pleaded guilty to alien harboring
• The couple illegally snuck the victim into America to be their housemaid
• The Moroccan woman, who worked there for three years, was never paid
• The couple instead paid just $8500 towards the victim's home in Morocco

A former Moroccan diplomat and his wife are facing up to five years in prison after illegally sneaking a woman into America so she could work as their servant - for free.

Former Moroccan diplomat Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia, from Alexandria, Virginia, refused to pay the victim a salary, despite forcing her to work up to 60 hours per week as their private housemaid.

Instead, the husband and wife - who reportedly seized the victim's passport - paid just $8500 towards the woman's apartment in Morocco while she was employed between December 2007 and December 2010.

A picture of who is thought to be Abdelkader Amal, left, and his wife Hnia, right. The couple, from Alexandria, Virginia, have admitted bringing a Moroccan woman into America under a fraudulent visa. They are pictured here with their daughter Mariam Amal, who is not involved in the case

The Department of Justice said the couple now face a lengthy prison sentence, as well as a $250,000 fine, after admitting bringing the Moroccan woman into America under 'false pretenses'.

Mr Amal, who worked as a diplomat at the Moroccan embassy in Washington D.C., and his wife, who runs a cleaning company from their home, pleaded guilty at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to a charge of alien harboring.

A spokesman for the DOJ said: 'The guilty plea stemmed from evidence that Abdelkader and Hnia Amal unlawfully brought a woman into the United States from Morocco and then kept the woman in their home as a domestic servant for three years.'

and when American diplomat committed same crime in Japan ... America the epitome of truth, justice and human rights- sneaked away its top diplomat from Tokyo !!!


so much for the Greatness of Great Ameriga ....

 

[Star Wars]

Ms Khobragade is not the only diplomat in trouble because of human trafficking laws:

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year | Mail Online

Moroccan diplomat and wife confess to human trafficking charges after sneaking maid into America - paying her less than $3000 a year

• Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia pleaded guilty to alien harboring
• The couple illegally snuck the victim into America to be their housemaid
• The Moroccan woman, who worked there for three years, was never paid
• The couple instead paid just $8500 towards the victim's home in Morocco

A former Moroccan diplomat and his wife are facing up to five years in prison after illegally sneaking a woman into America so she could work as their servant - for free.

Former Moroccan diplomat Abdelkader Amal and his wife Hnia, from Alexandria, Virginia, refused to pay the victim a salary, despite forcing her to work up to 60 hours per week as their private housemaid.

Instead, the husband and wife - who reportedly seized the victim's passport - paid just $8500 towards the woman's apartment in Morocco while she was employed between December 2007 and December 2010.

A picture of who is thought to be Abdelkader Amal, left, and his wife Hnia, right. The couple, from Alexandria, Virginia, have admitted bringing a Moroccan woman into America under a fraudulent visa. They are pictured here with their daughter Mariam Amal, who is not involved in the case

The Department of Justice said the couple now face a lengthy prison sentence, as well as a $250,000 fine, after admitting bringing the Moroccan woman into America under 'false pretenses'.

Mr Amal, who worked as a diplomat at the Moroccan embassy in Washington D.C., and his wife, who runs a cleaning company from their home, pleaded guilty at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to a charge of alien harboring.

A spokesman for the DOJ said: 'The guilty plea stemmed from evidence that Abdelkader and Hnia Amal unlawfully brought a woman into the United States from Morocco and then kept the woman in their home as a domestic servant for three years.'

Indian Maid legally traveled there and her passport application was written by the maid herself and accepted by the US Embessy in India , while the Maid in this case was "illigally" smuggled . If a person should be in trouble it should be the dude in the Embassy who accepted the application

 

[VCheng]

Indian Maid legally traveled there and her passport application was written by the maid herself and accepted by the US Embessy in India , while the Maid in this case was "illigally"
smuggled . If a person should be in trouble it should be the dude in the Embassy who accepted the application

Ms Khobragade lied on US Federal forms. That is what got her into trouble in the first place.

 

[janon]

Ms Khobragade is not the only diplomat in trouble because of human trafficking laws:

Umm...did you notice a big difference between the two cases, or need I point it out to you?

OK, I will - Sangita Richards was not snuck into the country stealthily, but was there on a proper, stamped visa. Yes she was paid less than what the visa application states, but that is standard practice for the employees of all diplomats from a 100 developing countries. It is nothing new. Our diplomats cannot afford to pay a maid more money than what the President of India receives (in rupee terms). Remember, our diplomats are paid in Rupees, not dollars.

Ms Khobragade lied on US Federal forms. That is what got her into trouble in the first place.

As do diplomats from a hundred other developing countries. You think the maids and nannies from Pakistan are paid more than the Prime Minister of Pakistan?

 

[Star Wars]

Ms Khobragade lied on US Federal forms. That is what got her into trouble in the first place.

No...she did not...the Maid lied in her US federal form and not Kobragade herself .. The mistake is on part of the US Embassy official for not double checking the form and cross refrencing it to that of Kobragade's Federal form ,, There is lot more to this than just the Maid story as the stupid Maid had stolen mobiles , documents and Laptop and NYPD had refused to file a case .. All this was before the whole incident happened ...



Also keep in mind the US Embassy in India would be understaffed if we decided to check how many Indian rules they have Broken

 

[janon]

Congress has always the ball whether during the freedom movement, as a NAM founder during cold war or carving out its own space after the cold war. There is not a single instance where India has done anything against its national interest. We have a consistent foreign policy.

So there is one more Congress supporter on PDF, I see! You are an endangered species in these parts.

 

[VCheng]

Umm...did you notice a big difference between the two cases, or need I point it out to you?

OK, I will - Sangita Richards was not snuck into the country stealthily, but was there on a proper, stamped visa. Yes she was paid less than what the visa application states, but that is standard practice for the employees of all diplomats from a 100 developing countries. It is nothing new. Our diplomats cannot afford to pay a maid more money than what the President of India receives (in rupee terms). Remember, our diplomats are paid in Rupees, not dollars.


As do diplomats from a hundred other developing countries. You think the maids and nannies from Pakistan are paid more than the Prime Minister of Pakistan?

The point remains that Ms Khobragade was caught and indicted because of those acts.

 

[janon]

The point remains that Ms Khobragade was caught and indicted because of those acts.

Yes, we know what she was indicted for. It is not a new piece of information that you are suddenly bringing. It has been trumpeted ad nauseum. The counter to that point has also been presented ad nauseum, which is what I just elucidated to you once again.

In future, if you want a functioning diplomatic corps from India in the USA, either have the US govt pay their staff American wages, or let that staff of diplomats live comfortably on Indian wages, with housing and transportation and medical and clothing and educational benefits paid for by India. Our diplomats cannot pay their staff American wages, which would be several times more than their own salary. It is simple logic. And DK is not the first, nor will she be the last diplomat from a foreign country to not pay American wages to their staff.

Drop this "oh we are only following the law" BS, because there are thousands of other diplomats you will have to arrest if you want to play that card.

 

[VCheng]

Yes, we know what she was indicted for. It is not a new piece of information that you are suddenly bringing. It has been trumpeted ad nauseum. The counter to that point has also been presented ad nauseum, which is what I just elucidated to you once again.

In future, if you want a functioning diplomatic corps from India in the USA, either have the US govt pay their staff American wages, or let that staff of diplomats live comfortably on Indian wages, with housing and transportation and medical and clothing and educational benefits paid for by India. Our diplomats cannot pay their staff American wages, which would be several times more than their own salary. It is simple logic. And DK is not the first, nor will she be the last diplomat from a foreign country to not pay American wages to their staff.

Drop this "oh we are only following the law" BS, because there are thousands of other diplomats you will have to arrest if you want to play that card.

You make a good point. Some laws definitely need to be changed or amended that govern such situations.

 

[cyphercide]

Drop this "oh we are only following the law" BS, because there are thousands of other diplomats you will have to arrest if you want to play that card.

To be fair, "everyone else is doing it so why single me out?" is also a flimsy excuse. With this incident, India is ironing out the paperwork and salary issues with their staff so some good did come out of it. Bitter medicine, but medicine nonetheless.

 

[janon]

To be fair, "everyone else is doing it so why single me out?" is also a flimsy excuse. With this incident, India is ironing out the paperwork and salary issues with their staff so some good did come out of it. Bitter medicine, but medicine nonetheless.

It would be a flimsy excuse, if it was a legitimate crime. For example, if a civil servant caught for taking bribes says that, it will not matter - he will still have to be punished for his crime, whether others are caught and punished or not.

In this case, the US govt itself (for very good reason) has been allowing this practice for diplomats from a hundred or more countries. The minimum wage law in the US cannot be a basis for prosecuting a diplomat, who is paid for by the home country. Morally and legitimately, there is nothing wrong in our diplomats not paying their maids a bigger salary than the President of India receives. And logically, there is no other option.

The "lying" during visa application happens only because the US has not (yet) modified its visa rules to allow for the special case of diplomats. But although the law exists in letter, it does not exist in spirit. As explained, the US has been allowing this practice for everybody. The fault lies with the US in not legalizing what it has been allowing all these years.

That is why "everybody does it" has to be pointed out in this particular case. Because the law she purpotedly broke is itself illogical and can never be applied anyway.