Devyani spills unholy truths behind arrest
15 Oct 2014 5:19 AM IST
What exactly happened in the morning of 12 December, last year had remained a mystery till date. In an interview to a news channel, ex-Deputy Consul General of India in New York revealed the unholy truths behind her arrest and the way she was ill-treated, despite enjoying diplomatic immunity. Narrating her ordeal, Khobragade reveals all she went through that day since the time she was arrested. ‘I had gone to drop my kids to school. When I came out, I saw a man and a woman waiting from outside.
On asking, they said they were from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (BDS) and that they had an arrest warrant against me. They showed be the warrant after several requests, despite reminding them that I enjoy diplomatic immunity and that I cannot be ill-treated like a criminal,’ Khobragade said. ‘When I said, I needed to speak to a lawyer, they said that the US would provide me one.
When I insisted that I wanted one of my own, they relented,’ Khobragade said. She was then taken to the US Marshal’s office, which deals with federal criminals, something that did not apply to Khobragade immediately, even if she was one. ‘I managed to inform my husband, sister-in-law about the incident just in time before my phone was taken away.’
She was handcuffed several times, strip-searched and cavity searched several times, despite reminders from her that she was a diplomat and could not be treated like that.
However, on being asked what was the nature of search she underwent, she said, ‘I would not want to go through that yet again. So let’s not talk about it. But, cheek swabs and fingerprints were taken, which a diplomat should be excused from.’ ‘This experience did not hurt me as much as the comments by my own people in India, who still are under the impression that I got an easy escape and that I should be punished for something that I did not do.’
‘I never did anything unlawful. All the information on the visa form were correct. I was helping my househelp to fill up the form. The $4,500 that was mentioned against me was the salary I earned and not her salary. I treated her like a part of my family; never imagined her doing something like that. She had access to everything-the house, the kids; i trusted her with everything.’
Two to three days before my maid disappeared, she had come to my office asking to live outside home and work outside.
‘When I said that this was not possible because of legal issues, she threatened me saying ‘Fraud karna to mujhe bhi aata hai (even I know how to fraud)’ and she left home without intimating.
On asking, they said they were from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (BDS) and that they had an arrest warrant against me. They showed be the warrant after several requests, despite reminding them that I enjoy diplomatic immunity and that I cannot be ill-treated like a criminal,’ Khobragade said. ‘When I said, I needed to speak to a lawyer, they said that the US would provide me one.
When I insisted that I wanted one of my own, they relented,’ Khobragade said. She was then taken to the US Marshal’s office, which deals with federal criminals, something that did not apply to Khobragade immediately, even if she was one. ‘I managed to inform my husband, sister-in-law about the incident just in time before my phone was taken away.’
She was handcuffed several times, strip-searched and cavity searched several times, despite reminders from her that she was a diplomat and could not be treated like that.
However, on being asked what was the nature of search she underwent, she said, ‘I would not want to go through that yet again. So let’s not talk about it. But, cheek swabs and fingerprints were taken, which a diplomat should be excused from.’ ‘This experience did not hurt me as much as the comments by my own people in India, who still are under the impression that I got an easy escape and that I should be punished for something that I did not do.’
‘I never did anything unlawful. All the information on the visa form were correct. I was helping my househelp to fill up the form. The $4,500 that was mentioned against me was the salary I earned and not her salary. I treated her like a part of my family; never imagined her doing something like that. She had access to everything-the house, the kids; i trusted her with everything.’
Two to three days before my maid disappeared, she had come to my office asking to live outside home and work outside.
‘When I said that this was not possible because of legal issues, she threatened me saying ‘Fraud karna to mujhe bhi aata hai (even I know how to fraud)’ and she left home without intimating.
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