NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA) and Devyani Khobragade on January 9,2014 dismissed any suggestion that she was willing to accept the plea-bargaining offer from the US Attorney Preet Bharara and stressed that their goal is to obtain G-1 visa that enables full immunity from arrest and appearance in court.
The US administration had given a plea-bargaining offer to Khobragade, which implies that the diplomat pleads guilty in the case. This effectively means that the US government is willing to waive her prison term while recognising it as a criminal offence. There were reports that Khobragade was open to this offer, which runs contrary to the MEA's efforts to get G-1 visa for her and insist on getting the charges dropped as she is innocent, according to both the ministry and the diplomat herself.
People familiar with the developments in South Block claimed that
Devyani never accepted the plea bargain offer and dismissed such
reports. "At this moment, we are awaiting G-1 visa in the next few days.
This is our objective," a senior official told ET. Devyani's father Uttam Khobragade echoed similar sentiments and appeared hopeful that the diplomat will receive G-1 visa soon.
Uttam Khobragade, quoting her daughter, said that she dismissed the plea-bargain offer. "Devyani felt that any acceptance of guilt will be compromising India's sovereignty and denigrating the country's judicial system. She had no intention of accepting that offer and admit guilt as she is innocent. I think she will get G-1 visa soon," he told ET over phone from Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Daniel Arshack, Khobragade's lawyer, is not losing hope after a US court denied her request to extend the January 13 deadline for a hearing in her visa fraud case, saying he is "considering" other options. One of the options could be to file another motion in court in the next few days seeking extension of the indictment deadline and preliminary hearing.
The US administration had given a plea-bargaining offer to Khobragade, which implies that the diplomat pleads guilty in the case. This effectively means that the US government is willing to waive her prison term while recognising it as a criminal offence. There were reports that Khobragade was open to this offer, which runs contrary to the MEA's efforts to get G-1 visa for her and insist on getting the charges dropped as she is innocent, according to both the ministry and the diplomat herself.
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Uttam Khobragade, quoting her daughter, said that she dismissed the plea-bargain offer. "Devyani felt that any acceptance of guilt will be compromising India's sovereignty and denigrating the country's judicial system. She had no intention of accepting that offer and admit guilt as she is innocent. I think she will get G-1 visa soon," he told ET over phone from Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Daniel Arshack, Khobragade's lawyer, is not losing hope after a US court denied her request to extend the January 13 deadline for a hearing in her visa fraud case, saying he is "considering" other options. One of the options could be to file another motion in court in the next few days seeking extension of the indictment deadline and preliminary hearing.
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