The diplomatic stand-off between India and United States over Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade arrest continues.

New Delhi, Dec 21/Nationalturk – The diplomatic stand-off between India and United States over Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade arrest continues with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid saying US should have allowed Indian courts to handle the issue.

Devyani Khobragade was arrested on December 12 on visa fraud charges involving the immigration and treatment of a nanny and then handed over to the US Marshals Service (USMS.

The Indian diplomat was paying just $3.31-per-hour wage to her Indian  housekeeper.

She has since been posted to India’s Permanent Mission in New York. Khobragade was taken into custody as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a $ 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.

Devyani could face maximum sentence of 10 yrs

She could face a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making a false declaration if convicted.

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told Indian private TV channel CNN-IBN that US should have allowed Indian courts to handle the issue.

He said the diplomatic efforts will continue to solve the issue, which threatens to spoil the good relations between the two powers.

However, US State Department has not shown any flexibility in its stand and said they don’t have the power to drop charges and the case against Devyani will proceed.

‘US should drop charges against Devyani’

Indian  Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath has said US actions were ‘totally unacceptable’. “India will not accept anything less than an apology. America should drop all charges. America should know that times have changed and India has changed,” he said.

India has also rubbished charges by the lawyer of Khobragade’s domestic help, Sangeeta Richard, on whose complaint the diplomat was arrested.

Talking to Indian TV channel  NDTV, Ms Richard’s lawyer, Dana Sussman alleged that her client was not given paid leave and was made to work seven days in a week.

“India tried to silence and intimidate my client and her family,” he said.