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Indian Diplomat Accused Of Underpaying Nanny Now Indicted
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 9, 2014
Modified Jan 9, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 9, 2014
Modified Jan 9, 2014
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The diplomat whose attempt to hire a nanny in New York catapulted the United States and India into an international incident has been indicted. Devyani Khobragade was charged with lying on a visa application for the nanny.
Prosecutors say that Khobragade's claim that she would pay the caretaker $4500/month was too high, given her salary and other income, and that she was actually just going to pay the woman $573/month—about $3.31 (or less)/hour based on excessive hours. Elected officials in India have taken offense to the fact that she was arrested and subject to a strip search and cavity search. U.S. diplomats in India have, in turn, been stripped of certain privileges and the U.S. embassy's security barriers (to prevent bombings) were removed.
You can read the indictment here (PDF). On page 15, the U.S. Attorney's office details how the victim tried to end her employment, but Khobragade refused and wouldn't give the victim her passport. Later, Khobragade tried to get the victim arrested, accusing her of extortion, and claiming that the victim's salary was the low, $3.31 (or less)/hour wage.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a letter to federal judge Shira Scheidlin, "There will not need to be an arraignment on the indictment scheduled at this time [for Jan. 13. We understand that the defendant was very recently accorded diplomatic immunity status and that she departed the United States today. Therefore, the charges will remain pending until such time as she can be brought to court to face the charges, either through a waiver of immunity or the defendant’s return to the United States in a non-immune status." (The Daily News says Khobragade hasn't left the country… yet.)
At the time of her arrest, Khobragade was a deputy consul and had limited immunity. After the arrest, she was transferred to India's Mission to the U.N. for full diplomatic immunity.
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Devyani Khobragade
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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