Did not violate passport, citizenship laws: Khobragade

Devyani Khobragade, an IFS officer and former Deputy Consul-General of India in New York, on Friday denied before the Delhi high court the Central government’s claim that she had violated the passport and citizenship laws by obtaining American and Indian passports for her two daughters.

She submitted before Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that unlike the External Affairs Ministry’s contention that her conduct raised questions about her “trustworthiness and integrity”, in her 16 years of service she was “routinely adjudicated” as an ‘outstanding’ officer with the highest degree of credibility and integrity. 

She said: “It is respectfully stated that mother of the petitioners (Khobragade’s daughters) never applied, nor allowed her spouse or dependants to apply for a foreign nationality or an immigrant visa nor is such a thing alleged by the respondents (Centre).”