Washington: Disputing State Department's claim that the Indian embassy was warned in September of imminent action against Devyani Khobragade, Indian officials insist it was part of a conrrespondence regarding her "missing" housekeeper who the embassy accused of "blackmailing" her employer and sought her arrest as she was subverting "both Indian and US laws."
In fact, the Indian embassy here as also the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi have been taking up the matter of Khobragade's domestic help Sangeeta Richard from June with the State Department and the US embassy in New Delhi, officials said.
The Sep 4 letter from the State Department requested the embassy to enquire into the allegations brought in by Richard disputing her terms of employment with Khobragade and seeking the findings of the embassy, it said. In response, the Indian side, both in New Delhi and in Washington, reiterated the requests pending with the US side in this regard since June 2013.
These included assistance in tracing Richard, who had had entered the US with an official Indian passport and was found missing on June 23. This was reported immediately to the Office of the Foreign Missions in New York and New York Police Department.
The embassy said it also sought action against "blackmailing by Richard demanding that she be permitted to change her passport, visa status and to work elsewhere, which would be in violation of US regulations." It also wanted assistance in repatriating Richard as her passport was revoked on July 8 and is since staying in the US illegally.
The Indian embassy also sought the arrest of Richard, alleging she had taken cash, mobile phone and documents from Khobragade's residence.
