Indian diplomat Devyani eligible for immunity, claims lawyer

New Delhi/Vadodara: There seems to be no end to the stand-off over diplomatic immunity of India's deputy consul Devyani Khobragade with her lawyer claiming that his client does enjoy diplomatic immunity.

"We believe and we have said in court that Ms Khobargade is entitled to immunity by virtue of her consular status. We will be making that application to a judge and we fully expect the judge will rule that she is entitled to immunity. We expect her to be fully vindicated whether or not she receives immunity," Khobargade's lawyer Dan Arshack said.

Despite the US state Department saying that she does not have a diplomatic immunity stating that the Vienna convention on consular relations does not cover personal actions of the diplomats, the Indian Embassy backed Devyani. The MEA on Friday had summoned the US ambassador Nancy Powell in Delhi, while the Indian CDA in Washington had met state department officials to express concern over the treatment to Khobragade.

Former ambassador to US Nirupama Rao too expressed shock over the incident. "The treatment meted out to Indian Diplomat Devyani Khobragade was shocking, she is a diplomat, who was there on an official mission," Rao said.

Meanwhile, Devyani's father denied allegations of visa fraud and ill-treatment of domestic help, calling it simply bullying and harassment. He added that the action was totally 'uncalled for' as the case on India Basde Domestic Assistant (IBDA) was already in the High Court.

"We had already gone to the HC requesting what's the payable amount to her. HC has given an induction prohibiting her from approaching any authority or any court outside India. Since she was absconding and blackmailing us. And Suddenly arresting in the public place that is definitely intentional humiliation," Devyani's father Uttam Khobragade said.

Devyani, a 1999-batch IFS officer, was taken into custody on Thursday while she was dropping her daughter to school and handcuffed in public on visa fraud charges before being released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty. This came after she allegedly presented the US State department with fraud documents in support of a visa application for an Indian national employed by her.