The female IFS officer, whose clothes were stripped and searched in America, relations with India had deteriorated.

New Delhi. In the winter of 2013, an incident took place in the streets of New York, which in one stroke brought the world’s two largest democratic powers, India and America, face to face. This incident was the arrest of IFS officer and Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade. Devyani was the Deputy Consul General of India in New York at that time. Under US law, she was accused of underpaying her domestic help Sangeeta Richard and giving false information in the visa form. Indian officials then felt that this matter should have been resolved at the diplomatic level, but America treated it like a criminal case. What happened next shook the relations between the two countries.

Devyani was detained by US authorities outside her children’s school in New York. But the controversy did not stop with the arrest. The American police removed Devyani’s clothes and searched her. Devyani was treated like this, which in many countries is done only to those convicted of serious crimes. When this news reached India, it seemed as if a storm arose in the country. There were strong demonstrations against the US Embassy in the country’s capital Delhi. There was talk of bitterness in the relations between the two countries.

misbehavior with female officer

This controversy spread from Parliament to the streets in India. Government, opposition, media all attacked America in unison. At that time the President of America was Barack Obama and the Prime Minister of India was Manmohan Singh. S. Jaishankar, the present Foreign Minister of India, used to be the Foreign Secretary of India at that time. India took many decisions after this incident. The security facilities of American diplomats in the Indian High Commission were reduced. His airport passes were withdrawn. Started immunity review of American diplomats. Tax-free facilities at the US Embassy’s club and restaurant were withdrawn. A reply was sought from the American Ambassador with a strong rebuke. India immediately took strict action.

There was a storm in India

Then a solution to this issue was found between the two countries. India gave Devyani the cover of ‘diplomatic post’. India immediately gave Devyani a post in the United Nations Mission, which gave her complete diplomatic immunity. America then allowed him to leave the country. Devyani returned to India and the matter was calmed down, but it left a sour note between the two countries.

How did India-America find the solution?

This dispute shook both the countries diplomatically. There was political tension for several months. High level meetings in both the countries were disrupted and mutual cooperation was affected for a long time. But the matter gradually calmed down. After the then US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed regret, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid publicly demanded that the case against Devyani be withdrawn. It is said that this matter was resolved after talks between US President Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh.

When this incident occurred, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Arun Jaitley had described the treatment meted out to Khobragade as a clear violation of the Vienna Convention by the US government. TMC MP Derek O’Brien had said that America should stop pretending to be the leader of the world. Sitaram Yechury had said that this incident cannot be accepted by any self-respecting sovereign nation. BSP chief Mayawati had also cornered the Manmohan government in the Rajya Sabha regarding Khobragade’s caste. Let us tell you that Khobragade comes from the Dalit community. Whereas, America alleged that Khobragade lied in the visa application of an Indian citizen who worked at her house, paid her less than the minimum wage and forced her to work more than 40 hours a week. The humiliating arrest and strip search of Khobragade by the American police still refreshes the bitter memory of this incident.