Khurshid raises concerns over Devyani Khobragade issue with Kerry

New Delhi, Jan 22: Upset over the Devyani Khobragade episode, India today raised with the US its concerns over "trafficking" visas issued to family members of Sangita Richard, the absconding maid of the Indian diplomat whose arrest had triggered a row between the two countries.

The concerns were conveyed by External Affiars Minister Salman Khurshid to his American counterpart John Kerry during nearly a half-an-hour-long meeting on the sidelines of Geneva 2 talks on Syria in the Swiss resort city of Montreux.

Khurshid and Kerry recognised the need to put in place institutional arrangements to look at all outstanding issues relating to the privileges and immunities of diplomats of both countries so that such issues could be resolved in a timely manner, the External Affairs Ministry said in a release after the meeting.

A 1999 batch IFS officer, Khobragade was arrested on December 12 and subsequesntly strip-searched before she was released on a bail of USD 250,000, evoking a sharp reaction by the government here which withdrew extra privileges enjoyed by the US diplomats posted in India.

India was also upset over visas issued by the US Embassy to the three family members -- husband and two children of Richard, saying that American diplomatic mission facilitated the illegal immigration of the family to the US.

Richard's family flew to New York on December 10, two days ahead of Khobragade's arrest in New York, on the air tickets provided by the US Embassy's official travel agency. The release said in view of the recent episode involving Khobragade's arrest, Khurshid "underlined India's concern over trafficking visas issued to Indian nationals by the US Embassy in India."

The two Ministers also reviewed recent developments in India-US relations.

PTI