Khobragade still faces trouble as dual citizenship of daughters is illegal

Devyani Khobragade, the Indian bureaucrat who became a household name in the country during the past few months following her arrest in the US for alleged visa fraud involving her domestic help, may find her troubles far from over, despite a US court throwing out the indictment against her. The US court today dismissed the indictment charges bought against her in the case of visa fraud. However Manhattan District Attorney  Preet Bharara could frame charges again. The ruling left open the possibility prosecutors could bring a new indictment against her, and they “intend to proceed accordingly,” said James Margolin, a spokesman for Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara. Devyani also faces trouble in India over the alleged dual citizenship of her daughters.   The Indian Express reported today that both of her daughters have Indian passports, even though they are ineligible for dual citizenship. [caption id=“attachment_1389135” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photo of Devyani Khobragade. PTI[/caption] Due to their birth in the United States and American citizenship of the father, Khobragade’s daughters are holders of American passports and are citizens of the United States.  However, according to the daily, they are ineligible for Indian citizenship. Now that the US visa issue has been sorted, Khobragade could face action for the dual-passports. According to the rules her husband is also expected to apply for Indian citizenship. This isn’t the first time that Khobragade has been suspected of misusing her position for personal gains. The alleged owner of 22 properties, the India-retrurned-diplomat’s name featured in the Adarsh housing society scam for owning a flat she is not eligible for. The diplomatic spat between India and the United States over the Khobragade case saw a barrage of comments on legitimacy of the actions taken by US against the diplomat’s alleged visa fraud and the Indian response since. A number of articles and editorials pointed to the duality, rather hypocrisy, in the way the US handled the Indian diplomat and the allegations against her While  Indo-US relations may have moved on from there, if Khobragade lands in further trouble, shielding the ex-diplomat may prove difficult for the Indian government.