Field officers will not visit foreign diplomats: Delhi Police
New Delhi: Delhi Police, in a letter, directed all districts Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) to instruct field officers, staff not to visit diplomats and ensure that any required legal action involving foreign diplomatic missions and its personnel should be routed through Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Sources claimed that the move came after MEA, in a letter, informed Ministry of Home Affairs about complaints by foreign embassies.
"Foreign Embassies have complained to the MEA of instances of police officials showing up at the residences of foreign diplomats and asking them to test COVID-19 due to their travel history involving international travel. Cases of stamping of hands of foreign diplomats, stooping of diplomatic vehicles, etc have also been reported," reads MEA letter which was sent earlier this month to MHA.
The letter further reads: The foreign diplomatic representations are by and large willing to cooperate with the concerned authorities of the Government of India and state governments on such matters. However, they rightfully expect that while doing so, the process should strictly conform to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961 and other international diplomatic practices and norms.
MHA had forwarded the letter copy to Delhi Police Commissioner for necessary action. After which Office of Commissioner of Police informed DCPs about the MEA letter. "The CP Delhi has passed remarks on the letter that: pl instruct that they will not visit foreign diplomats. It is, therefore, requested that the remarks of CP Delhi and instructions mentioned in Ministry letter may please be communicated to all field level officers and staff to ensure that while dealing with foreign diplomats the inviolability of VCDR 1961 is maintained," Delhi Police letter reads, adding that any required legal action involving foreign diplomatic missions and its personnel should be routed through MEA.
According to MEA letter: The intrusion of diplomatic premises, official or residential without consent of the head of the mission is in violation of VCDR 1961. Such actions can potentially escalate into diplomatic rows affecting India's bilateral relations with friendly countries.". Further MEA had asked MHA to issue necessary instructions to all concerned officials in the Government of India and State governments to ensure that in dealing with foreign diplomats, the inviolability of the VCDR 1961 is maintained and any communication is done through MEA.
