Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi/New York: In another shocking detail, a report on Tuesday said Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was subjected to an embarrassing strip-search after her arrest for alleged visa fraud in New York last week.
The way Khobragade was arrested has sparked a diplomatic row between India and the US.
While "no comment" was forthcoming from the Indian side about these reports, attributed to unnamed sources about Khobragade, India`s deputy consul general in New York, the US State Department sought to pass the buck to the justice department and the local police.
"The State Department`s Diplomatic Security followed standard procedures during the arrest," spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters on Monday when asked why the US was not respecting basic courtesies to a diplomat as it expected others to respect its own diplomats.
"After her arrest, she was passed on to the US marshals for intake and processing. So for any additional questions on her treatment, obviously, this would be the US Marshals and not us. I would refer you there," she said.
Meanwhile, the issue is set to rock the Indian Parliament on Tuesday as JD(U) has given notice for discussion on the arrest of Khobragade.
In a snub, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon on Monday cancelled their meeting with a visiting US Congressional delegation on Monday to protest the arrest and handcuffing of Khobragade.
Khobragade, 39, was arrested, handcuffed and charged on Thursday with one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements, which carry a total maximum sentence 15 years in prison.
She was later released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in a Manhattan court. She is due back in court in January.
(With Agency inputs)
