US News

Indian diplomat indicted over Nannygate, asked to leave US

The Indian diplomat whose arrest over filing fraudulent documents for her nanny sparked an international furor was indicted on Thursday — but only after being granted immunity and being asked to leave the United States.

Meanwhile, Roselvin Sanchez, a lawyer for Devyani Khobragade, confirmed the diplomat was still at her Manhattan home “with her children” on Thursday night – only hours after Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara claimed she had already fled the county before eventually pointing fingers at the US State Department for the false information.

“We understand that the defendant was very recently accorded diplomatic immunity status and that she departed the United States today,” Preet Bharara wrote in a letter to Manhattan federal Judge Shira Scheidlin announcing a grand jury had indicted Devyani Khobragade.

“Therefore, the charges will remain pending until such time as she can be brought to court to face the charges.”

But hours later, Bharara’s office sent out a brief statement claiming it received the misinformation about Khobragade leaving America from the US State Department.

A U.S. government official told Reuters that Washington has asked her to leave the country. Sanchez declined comment when asked if Khobragade would be leaving soon.

Devyani , India’s 39-year-old deputy consul general for political, economic, commercial and women’s affairs, was busted on Dec. 12 for allegedly helping to submit fake documents to the US State Department, saying she was paying her female nanny $4,500 per month — when, in reality, the caregiver received only $573 monthly, or a measly $3.31 an hour.

The women’s rights lobbyist hired Sangeeta Richard, an Indian national, in November 2012 and used her as a babysitter and housekeeper at her Manhattan home until June.

Richard in February told Khobragade she wanted to quit and return to India because she felt “mistreated,” says the indictment that does not name Richard.

“The victim” said she “was unhappy with her low salary, long hours and harsh work conditions and wanted to go home,” the indictment says. “Once again, Khobragade denied the victim’s request to end her employment and her request for the return of her personal passport.”

Richard “ultimately turned to a non-profit organization that supports human-trafficking victims for assistance,” the indictment says.

Khobragade was charged with one count each of visa fraud and making false statements. She faces up to 15 years behind bars.

Her arrest sparked outrage in India after revelations that she was strip-searched and thrown into a cell with other cons before being released on $250,000 bail.

The news of her indictment and being granted immunity comes a day after Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan Federal Court sided with Bharara, who opposed Khobragade’s application to have the filing of her indictment pushed back a month from a set Jan. 13 deadline.

The diplomat had claimed an indictment is a “polarizing event” that could be avoided considering there were ongoing plea talks.

Bharara on Monday filed papers saying his office has engaged in “hours of discussion in the hope of negotiating a plea” and, despite being hopeful a deal could be reached, declined to support Khobragade’s extension request.