New Delhi: The things are becoming more complicated. The plot thickens. India has now accused the American government of helping Devyani Khobragade's maid Sangeeta Richards and family members to immigrate to the US. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sources, Sangeeta Richard's family reached America by an Air India flight 101 on December 10. Two days later, Devyani was arrested by the New York authorities on visa fraud charges. They have been granted valid visa by the US government. Sangeeta herself is an illegal migrant in the US. After she disappeared from Devyani's house, on June 12, 2013, Indian embassy in Washington had asked American authorities to deport her back home. Indian government had even cancelled her passport. Curiously, the US administration did not act on the request. These developments have proved India's worst fears that the US is also a part of the conspiracy over Devyani case.
The strange attitude of the US government raises serious questions over the real motive behind the whole incident. Why is Sangeeta, a jobless maid, whose current status is illegal getting so much support from the US? What is the use of a maid for the US administration? Is it an open and shut case of visa fraud? Is the US government acting upon it just to uphold its laws or does it have some other hidden agendas?
The MEA had even helped Devyani in getting a restraint order against Sangeeta from the Delhi High court in September. Since, the Indian courts have no say in the US, it made no impact on Sangeeta.
The manner in which the US handled the entire case raises several important questions over its motives.
The manner in which the Indian government reacted to the arrest and hurriedly shifting Devyani to the UN mission in New York also lead to suspicion. According its own sources, India feared that the US might arrest Devyani again and shifting her to the UN mission was a tactical move.
The UN assignment prevents the US authorities from going after her in future. It gives her full diplomatic immunity and the US laws don't apply on UN soil.
According to reports, the MEA and the IFS association are upset because the US State Department had given permission for Devyani's arrest two weeks back. But the matter was not flagged off with the Consular Head or Diplomatic Staff. Devyani was arrested at 10 am on December 12 and the bail hearing finally came through at 6 pm despite diplomatic requests for expediting.
According top level MEA sources, Devyani is now inside Indian permanent UN mission, so can't be arrested. But she doesn't have an UN badge, will be applying for one now. When she does so, she will have to go through the US State Department, which will ask her to submit her Consular ID card. Once that is done, if the State department feels, a new UN badge might not be issued till the time legal hearing is over in the case. However they would not go to the extent of entering the permanent mission to arrest her if the need arises. Also, Sangeeta Richard's husband might have been allowed visa to fly in, since the attorney could feel that his testifying would strengthen evidence against the diplomat.
Except some low level US State department officials reacting to it, no high ranking US officials have so far reacted to the diplomatic war. These developments suggest that the issue is far from over.
Some feel that the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh should ring up US President Barack Obama to resolve the issue. But, many others feel that it is not as easy as it seems.
This incident has turned the Indo-US relationship frosty after almost forty years. One has to wait and see, what happens next.
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