Shinde assures father of arrested diplomat in Delhi

The father of the Indian woman diplomat, arrested on visa fraud charges in New York, on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and was assured of the government's support.

Uttam Khobragade, father of India's Deputy Consul General in the United States Devyani Khobragade, said he had got an assurance of support from the home minister.

"He (Shinde) said it is our responsibility, entire government is with you. She has not done anything to be treated like that. What was done was absolutely atrocious and she was discharging government duty," Khobragade told media persons outside Parliament House.

According to the diplomat's father, Shinde said Devyani has diplomatic immunity and the government will ensure that no harm is done and she is safe and there is no restriction on her movement.

Earlier, the 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 up the matter with the 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 that.

He said Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had refused to meet a visiting American delegation and the External Affairs minister has made his displeasure known to the delegation.

The Indian diplomat was arrested and handcuffed in public on visa fraud charges last week. Thirty-nine-year-old Khobragade, a 1999-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was taken into custody on a street in New York as she was dropping her daughter to school, before being released on a $250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.

The government had summoned US Ambassador Nancy Powell and issued a demarche in this regard.