NEW DELHI, Dec 17: Father of IFS officer Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest and subsequent illtreatment in the US has sparked a major diplomatic dust-up, today met Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde who said the needful will be done to provide justice to her.
“Yes, he met me. He told me everything about the incident. Immediately, I have spoken to the concerned people for action. She will get justice,” Shinde told reporters here.
The Home Minister was speaking after Uttam Khobragade, father of India’s Deputy Consul General in New York Devyani Khobragade, met him seeking his help for justice to her.
Shinde is a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Uttam Khobragade is a retired official of the Maharashtra government.
Later, Khobragade said the Home Minister assured him government’s full support to Devyani, a 1999 batch IFS officer.
He said the Home Minister told him that the government was with the family and Devyani has not done anything to be treated like that.
“What was done was absolutely atrocious and she was discharging government duty,” Khobragade said.
Khobragade said when Devyani was arrested, she should have been treated with proper dignity.
The row today intensified following reports that the diplomat was reportedly strip searched, confined with drug addicts after her detention and also subjected to DNA swabbing. However, when State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf was queried on it she said that the Diplomatic Security “followed standard procedures during her arrest”.
According to Khobragade, the Home Minister said that Devyani had diplomatic immunity and the government will ensure that no harm is done and she is safe and there is no restriction on her movement.
Devyani was arrested and handcuffed in public in New York on visa fraud charges last week.
The 39-year-old diplomat was taken into custody on a street in New York as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.
Earlier, BJP had asked the government to act in the matter. Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said it was a serious issue and the government should take it up with top US administration.
Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said there is a code of conduct with regard to diplomats and all countries should follow it.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon have refused to meet a US Congressional delegation in protest against the arrest and subsequent treatment meted out to Devyani.
India has also asked the US to return IDs issued to all its consular officers posted in the country, a move which may be a precursor to reviewing immunity and benefits enjoyed by them. (PTI)
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