Khobragade return heightens India-US diplomatic cold war

The diplomatic Cold War between Washington and New Delhi shows no sign of ending, despite the return of chief protagonist Devyani Khopragade to India.

The US State Department yesterday announced that Khobragade no longer enjoys immunity under her diplomatic status, and she could be arrested if she returns to that country.

"Prior to her (Khobragade) departure, it was conveyed to her and to the government of India that she is not permitted to return to the United States except to submit to the jurisdiction of the court. Her name would be placed in visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent the routine issuance of any future visa … and a warrant may be issued for her arrest," state department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

Khobragade was asked to the leave the US ''within 48 hours'' after she was indicted in a New York court on Thursday on two counts of visa fraud and misrepresentation of facts.

Her departure from the US does not change the charges against her, Psaki said.

In a retaliation that smacks of the Cold War, India on Friday threw out an American diplomat of comparable rank – and one who moreover Delhi believes triggered the entire affair.

The State Department said the US deeply regretted India's decision to ''expel'' one of its diplomats, but hoped a closure had been reached on the issue.

The counsellor thrown out of Delhi is Wayne May, who was the 'regional security officer' coordinating the India-US anti-terrorism assistance programme. He was also a special agent of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the division of the US State Department that is the complainant against Khobragade in the New York case.

New Delhi is certain that May, along with his wife Alicia who is also a diplomat posted in India, were instrumental in aiding Sangeeta Richards, Khobragade's Indian help, to file the cases against her employer; and in arranging visas and tickets for Richards's husband and two children to fly to the US, where they are apparently still living.

Meanwhile, reports say that cops in Delhi have started booking US Embassy vehicles for any traffic violations, even if they have diplomatic licence plates.