New Delhi: India has alleged that the housemaid of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade tried to extort money from her, seeking no less than $10,000.
India is also intrigued on why the US government has chosen to file criminal charges against Ms Khobragade when in the past, it was always some NGOs who would take up the cause of hou-semaids employed with Indian diplomats there.
Sangeeta Richard was a quasi government employee and came under the category of India-based Domestic Assistant.
It is learnt that on July 8 this year, Ms Khobragade met Ms Richard, who had already left her employment in June at the office of an immigration lawyer in New York.
Ms Richard reportedly sought an Indian passport as her official passport, which she had got from the Indian government, had been revoked when she went missing.
She also sought thousands of dollars and “relief” to enable her to stay on in the US.
However, Indian attempts to file a case of extortion were unsuccessful. In fact, on July 5, the external affairs ministry had taken up the matter of the absconding maid with US Embassy officials here. The officials were reportedly informed about the situation and their help was sought in locating Richard.
Her husband, who was in Delhi then, had refused to file a missing person report with the police and even assured the Indian Embassy officials that she was fine.
In September, India says that with no response from the US government, a civil suit injunction was filed by Ms Khobragade in the Delhi High Court. The injunction preventing Ms Richard from acting against the diplomat was passed on September 3 and India says that the information was shared with the US.
It now appears the US knew of the whereabouts of Ms Richard.
Her father-in-law is believed to be working in the US Embassy here. Her mother-in-law was known to the US?government as she had worked with a senior diplomat of the US Embassy here.
Besides, her husband Philip, a driver with Mozambique Embassy, was given visa to travel to the US easily and quickly.
The Indian government wonders whether all the requirements for grant of visa to him were fulfilled, particularly those related to salary and finance.
The husband along with two children travelled out of the country on December 10, two days ahead of Ms Khobragade’s arrest.
