Indian mission to UN says it promptly reported Jha case to MEA

Betwa Sharma

United Nations, Jan 19 (PTI) The Indian mission to the UNtoday said that diplomat Alok Ranjan Jha, who is accused ofmisbehaving with a co-passenger on board an Air India flight,was transferred to New Delhi after it "promptly" reported thematter to the Ministry of External Affairs.

"We have been told that there are reports appearing onIndian TV (channels) regarding transfer of Mr Alok Jha toDelhi," sources in the Permanent Mission of India to theUnited Nations told PTI.

The "matter regarding an incident involving him at JFKairport was promptly reported to the Ministry of ExternalAffairs, which is seized of the matter and has transferred theofficer to New Delhi," they said.

Separately, the mission''s spokesman told a private IndianTV channel that there was no arrest following the incidentinvolving Jha.

"That I can tell you very clearly, there has been noarrest. Absolutely not," spokesman Vinod Jacob told thechannel, replying to a question on Jha.

Jha, a 2002 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer andfirst secretary in the permanent mission in New York, wastransferred to Delhi following the incident on January 7.

He is the second diplomat after London-based AnilVerma, who is accused of beating his wife, to be transferredback to India in less than a week''s time.