Devyani Khobragade Case Summary

On the 12th of December 2013, at 9:30 A.M. precisely, after US Judge Debra Freeman issued the arrest warrant, and after having dropped off her children at school, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested, by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security . She was strip searched and allegedly cavity searched ; although the U.S. Marshals Service spokesman, Nikki Credic-Barret, specified that Khobragade was actually strip searched which was a set protocol to every individual accessing a federal courthouse, and that she was not exposed to a cavity search .
She had been charged, a day prior to her arrest, by an Indian-born US attorney Preet Bharara on two counts: “willfully” committing visa fraud and presenting false statements to the US authorities :, Devyani has “willfully and knowingly” presented a false statement, the fake employment contract, to the U.S. Department
While she was planning to move to New York to serve as the Deputy Consul General for Political, Economic, Commercial and Women’s Affairs at the Consulate General of India, she was looking for a “live-in childcare provider and housekeeper.” After interviewing Sangeeta Richard, both parties agreed upon a 30,000 rupees monthly allowance, which approximately equals to 573 US dollars per month ; noting that, no deductions were discussed at that time. They agreed that Devyani was to apply for Richards’ passport and that all she had to do was reply to a call from the US embassy in India. On the 15th of October 2012, an A-3 Visa application, also known as the “Temporary Work Visa” has been submitted from a computer holding the same IP address as the device used to submit Devyani’s personal visa application indicating that the application was filled by Devyani or at least she was present at the time of filing. The amount of 4,500 US dollars has been entered as the domestic worker’s monthly income