Fresh warrant against Devyani is aggression against India: Uttam Khobrage

Following an arrest warrant being issued against Devyani Khobragade as US prosecutors re-indicted her on charges of visa fraud, her father, retired IAS officer Uttam Khobrage said the US appears to not be respecting their own courts.

In a letter to United States District Judge William Pauley, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said that Khobragade is “believed” to be in India and the court would be alerted if she is arrested.

“It’s nonsense,” Uttam Khobragade told Firstpost.

“It seems that they don’t want to respect their own courts and law. By issuing a fresh arrest warrant, the US has virtually committed an aggression against India,” he said.

Bharara has accused the Indian diplomat of “illegally” underpaying and “exploiting” her domestic help.

The new charges, which came a day after a US court dismissed an earlier indictment, accused her of visa fraud and making false statements about the visa application of her maid Sangeeta Richard.

“Though the court said that there is no bar against re-indictment, it also said that it has not gone on the merits of the case. So, once indicted and then cleared of the charges, nowhere is the person again re-indicted on the same grounds, that too for a person who is neither a citizen nor the resident of that country now,” the angry father added.

He said he would be urging the Indian government to take appropriate action in the case.