US action against Indian diplomat violates human rights: Father

Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade's arrest in the United States has angered her family here, which has termed the New York Police act as "humiliating for all Indians".

Uttam Khobragade, a retired senior bureaucrat and Devyani's father, lauded the strong stand by the Indian government on the issue and said "we are satisfied".

"The action by the US is a gross breach of the Geneva Convention and also a violation of human rights. Why was she arrested in a public area when she could also been nabbed at her home? Besides, when she was nabbed near a school, there was no lady police officer ... This is truly shocking," an indignant Uttam told IANS.

He said the US authorities should have taken special care as she is a senior diplomat, enjoying diplomatic immunity, before taking the drastic step.

On the issue of Devyani's reported tiff with her domestic help Sangeeta Richard, Uttam said she worked with the diplomat for barely three months and then disappeared in the US.

"We filed a missing complaint in the US, lodged a case in India and a Delhi court has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Richard which was sent to the US to be served on her. But the US authorities claimed they could not trace her," he explained.

Uttam said it was strange that on one hand, the US authorities could not trace out Richard and on the other they arrested Devyani on an alleged false complaint by the absconder, which itself is a violation of Indian laws as the matter is pending before a Delhi court.

Devyani, 39, was arrested on alleged charges of presenting fraudulent documents for her housekeeper Richard's US visa application, and released on a bail bond of $250,000 after she pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court.

Shortly afterwards, she called up her father in Mumbai and informed the family of the developments.

The Indian government Friday summoned US Ambassador Nancy Powell and lodged a strong protest over the issue, while the Indian Ambassador to the US also conveyed its strong concern over the action taken against Devyani.