18 killed in India stampede at home of Muslim spiritual leader

The funeral procession of Syedna Burhanuddin (Pic: Imtiyaz Shaikh)

MUMBAI (AA) - In one of the worst religious stampedes in recent years, 18 were killed and 60 others injured in the wee hours of Saturday ahead of the funeral procession of Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader Syedna Burhanuddin, who passed away at the age of 102 on Friday morning following a cardiac arrest.

Police sources told Anadolu Agency that the stampede occurred in posh Malabar Hill area in South Mumbai outside the residence of Burhanuddin, where people had gathered in thousands to pay their last respects to the spiritual leader.

An eyewitness told AA that the stampede happened at around 1.30 am after the gates of Saifee Mahal, Burhanuddin’s residence, were closed.

"People fell on each other as the crowd swarmed in thousands to catch a last glimpse of their leader causing pandemonium," he said requesting not be named.

Out of the 60 injured, 57 have been discharged after being treated in Saifee hospital.

Maharashtra state home minister RR Patil has asked for an official inquiry into the stampede.

Saturday’s tragic incident is the second biggest stampede in India in the last four months. In October 2013, at least 91 devotees were killed in a stampede at a Hindu temple in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

The funeral procession commenced at 10 am from Malabar Hill as thousands of devotees dressed in white formed a human chain moving slowly towards Bhendi Baazar area where the last rites will be performed later on Saturday at Raudat Tahera mausoleum.

The body of the spiritual leader was put in a casket draped in Indian tricolor and carried in an open truck.

An estimated 100,000 people turned up for the funeral procession as police and law enforcement agencies diverted Mumbai’s heavy traffic to avoid traffic jam.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh reportedly admitted to the lapses in security arrangement.

"Neither the police nor the organizers thought of the huge turnout of devotees. Eighteen people have died and most deaths due to suffocation. When the gate was closed, there was suffocation," Singh was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he received the news of the passing away of Burhanuddin with "deep sadness".

"Dr. Burhanuddin led the Dawoodi Bohra Community with wisdom and enlightenment. His appeal went beyond the community as his compassion and humanism inspired people of all faiths," Singh said in a statement.

The Dawoodi Bohra community announced on Saturday that Burhanuddin’s son Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has succeeded him.

Burhanuddin, regarded as an ambassador of peace and goodwill, was born in Surat in western state of Gujarat. He took the mantle of leadership from his father in 1965. He is credited for promoting international brotherhood and harmony.

"Under his leadership, the community has achieved remarkable social, economic and educational success across the world," a spokesperson of the leader said in a statement.

Burhanuddin was honoured with many international awards including the Star of Jordan and Order of the Nile by respective governments of Jordan and Egypt. He was also conferred doctorate for his social and educational work by Al-Azhar University, Aligarh Muslim University and University of Karachi.

Anadolu Agency, January 18, 2014

Wife of Indian minister found dead at Delhi hotel

File photo of Tharoors (Pic: Mid-Day)

NEW DELHI (AA) - The wife of junior minister and former UN under-secretary, Shashi Tharoor, was found dead on Friday evening.

Police sources confirmed to Anadolu Agency that Mrs Tharoor was found dead in her hotel room, but they are unable to divulge any further details while the investigation is ongoing.

Mr Tharoor, who was away attending a day-long Congress party meeting, broke open the door with the help of a hotel attendant after there was no response from inside.

A post-mortem will be conducted on Saturday morning.

Three days ago she said she was distressed by the scandal of an alleged affair between her husband and a Pakistani journalist.

Mrs Tharoor on Wednesday accused Mehr Tarar in a series of tweets of "stalking" her politician husband, who responded to deny these allegations.

Responding to the news of Mrs Tharoor's death, Tarar expressed her schock and sent her condolences.

The high-profile couple issued a statement on Thursday saying they are "happily married" and intend to remain that way. They couple were seeking privacy from the media as Mrs Tharoor was unwell.

The couple married in 2010, during that year the politician had to resign from his ministerial post after allegations surfaced his wife had been given a free stake in the Kerala team in the Indian Premier Cricket League.

Tharoor is an internationally-acclaimed writer and has spent more than two decades at the UN.

Anadolu Agency, January 17, 2014

India's Congress VP Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP party

File photo of Rahul Gandhi 

NEW DELHI (AA) - In an attempt to reinvent the image of his party after the shock defeat in recent state elections, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi bitterly attacked Narendra Modi on Friday, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, saying those who dream of a “Congress-free-India” will themselves be destroyed. 

In a speech at Delhi’s Talkatora stadium, Gandhi said congress is not a party, it is an idea close to our hearts. It is an idea enshrined in India for 3000 years.”

“It is an idea of Emperor Ashoka and Mughal king Akbar. It is an idea which is enshrined in India’s holy books, an idea of mutual co-existence, an idea which has passed down to generations. Can an idea that stays in our hearts be destroyed?"

Gandhi accused right-wing BJP of stoking communal hatred across the country and appealed to like-minded people to come together in what he described as “critical juncture”.

He added that his party is fully ready to conquer the electoral battle ahead calling himself a “warrior” of the grand old party.

“There is a tough battle ahead of us. We will go into this battle as warriors with our heads held high,” he said.

Gandhi dismissed the constant call to be declared the party’s prime ministerial candidate saying, “I will do anything you want me to, I am a loyal soldier” while maintaining that the Congress traditionally does not announce its prime ministerial candidate before voting. 

Gandhi promised that the party’s election manifesto won’t be a closed-door affair anymore as he wants to involve as many people as possible in defining the key issues affecting the nation.

“We have asked the youth and women, will ask Dalits, farmers, laborers and businessmen to make a manifesto accordingly,” he said.

The young Gandhi, who is seen by many as a weak and inefficient leader, was speaking at the annual meet of AICC (All India Congress Committee).

“Today Rahul has showed his fire power publicly for the first time,” a senior Congress leader told Anadolu Agency refusing to be named.

“Rahul’s message that party will be run from the grassroot level and not from the top is a clear signal to those party leaders who rest on their laurels. It is a revolutionary step to further democratise the party and identify hardworking low-key-profile leaders,” he said.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said Congress did not declare Rahul Gandhi their prime ministerial candidate because of prospect of defeat.

“It's the prospect of defeat staring in the face, which is responsible for the reluctance to announce Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate in 2014,” Jaitley wrote on Twitter.

Anadolu Agency, January 17, 2014

Modi blames Congress for battering Indian economy

File of Narendra Modi at a Mumbai rally (Pic: Imtiyaz Shaikh)

NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian Prime Ministerial candiate Narendra Modi has accused the current Congress-led federal coalition of creating an atmosphere of despair with its economic policies. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate told a gathering of industry leaders in Gandhinagar, capital of Gujarat, that India has become a "country of under-achievers" because of the economic policies and inaction of the federal government.

“There is a need to shake off this despair. An atmosphere of confidence and trust is very important in India now,” said Modi.

The four-time Gujarat chief minister singled out Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress' vice-President Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to be named as the party’s prime ministerial candidate on Friday.

“The Prime Minister likes to speak about ‘inclusive growth. Until we create opportunities for the poor through education, how can it happen?" said Modi.

In an apparent dig at Gandhi, Modi said India must be run by decision-makers. “It has become fashionable now to run away from responsibility,” he said.

Gandhi, who hinted at his desire become his party’s prime ministerial candidate on Tuesday for the first time, is often criticized by his opponents and political rivals for not “accepting responsibility” within the government.

The 63-year-old Modi presented his economic vision on a day when the World Bank projected India’s economy to grow at over 6% in 2014-15 and 7.1% by 2016-17 with the help of recovering global demand and domestic investment increases.

The World Bank's Global Economic Prospects report released on Wednesday attributed weak growth in South Asia to India’s stunted economic performance.

India's economy has suffered from steep currency depreciation and the withdrawal of foreign capital amid fears of policy paralysis ahead of this summer's scheduled general election. 

Anadolu Agency, January 15, 2014

Italy asks India to discharge marines

File photo of Italian Marines (Pic: The Hindu)

NEW DELHI (AA) – The Italian government asked India's Supreme Court on Wednesday to discharge two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen in 2012, on the grounds that the judicial process has been delayed.

The Supreme Court responded to Italian complaints about a formal chargesheet still not being submitted, two years after the incident, by scheduling the hearing for Monday. 

The arrest of the two Italian marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimilano Latorre, on the charge that they had killed Ajesh Binki and Jelestine off the Keralan coast in February 2012 sparked a diplomatic row between India and Italy. 

The Italian government claims the incident happened in international, not Indian, waters and the marines should be tried in an Italian court, a claim India strongly contests.

The marines, who were deployed on-board the Italian oil tanker ship MT Enrica Lexie, recieved bail and are staying in the Italian Embassy in New Delhi while they await trial.

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) concluded that the marines did not fire any warning shot or issue a verbal warning by loudspeaker before the actual shooting.

India has promised Italy that the marines would not be sentenced to death. M.J. Akbar, a journalist and commentator who is critical of the judicial delay, told Anadolu Agency he was “baffled” by this stance.

“The Indian government can’t guarantee the outcome of the trial at any cost. Only a judge has the jurisdiction to determine it.”

Anadolu Agency, January 15, 2014

Danish woman allegedly gang-raped in Delhi

File photo of a violence against women protest (Pic: WorldBulletin.net)

NEW DELHI (AA) - A 51-year-old Danish woman was allegedly gang-raped by a group of men in Delhi, India on Tuesday night when she lost her way back to her hotel after visiting a museum, according to police.

The victim told Delhi police late on Tuesday night that she had got lost after visiting Delhi’s National Museum. She claimed the men, who she approached for directions to the nearby Delhi railway station, had taken her to an isolated spot and gang-raped her. She also claimed she was robbed after the sexual assault.

The Delhi police have reportedly used the information provided by the victim to detain six suspects.

“She lost her way when this incident happened. Currently, the concerned police team has identified suspects and is interrogating them. The investigation is on,” Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told AFP.

A case of gang-rape and robbery has been registered under the relevant sections of Indian Penal Code.

Police said the victim, who has not been named to preserve her anonymity, left for Copenhagen on Wednesday morning after refusing to undergo a medical test.

The Delhi government and Danish embassy are not commenting on the incident due to the ongoing investigation.

The Supreme Court of India said on Wednesday it needs a formal system to address cases of sexual harassment against both sitting and former judges, reversing a decision made in December to not hear cases against former judges.

It issued a notice to Justice Swatanter Kumar, a former Supreme Court judge, and the federal government after a law intern alleged on Sunday that he had sexually harassed her in May 2011 - when he was still a judge in India's top court.

Justice Kumar has denied the allegations of sexual harassment, calling them a “deep-rooted conspiracy”. Kumar filed a defamation suit with the Delhi High Court on Wednesday seeking Rs. 25 million in damages from media organizations for publishing “baseless” and “incredulous” reports against him.

The court agreed to hear the law intern's seven-page petition seeking the formation of a gender committee to look into sexual harassment complaints against sitting and retired judges.

In her petition to P Sathasivam, Chief Justice of India, in November the law intern accused Justice Kumar of “unwelcome physical contact and sexual advances” claiming he touched her with “sexual intent”.

This is the second high-profile sexual harassment case allegedly involving a former Supreme Court judge. In December, a Supreme Court-appointed panel indicted AK Ganguly for “unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature” towards a law intern.

Amid mounting pressure by rights activists and citizens, Ganguly, had to resign from the post of Chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission.

Anadolu Agency, January 15, 2014

Former Indian home secretary: Home Minister lied about fugitive

File photo of RK Singh

NEW DELHI (AA) - Retired federal Home Secretary R.K. Singh accused his former boss, federal Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, on Tuesday of lying about a US promise of help to bring fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim to India. 

Singh, who joined the right-wing BJP last week, bitterly criticized Shinde’s claims that the American attorney general had promised that the FBI would help bring Ibrahim to book. Singh also claimed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was aware of Shinde’s actions.

Ibrahim has been designated a terrorist by both India and the United States. He is wanted in India in a series of cases -- most prominently a series of 13 terrorist explosions in Mumbai in 1993. The attacks killed 350 people and injured 1,200 others.

India alleges that Ibrahim has been given shelter in neighboring Pakistan, a charge denied by the latter.

"Even if an agency belonging to another country agrees to help us in a mission on a third country's soil, this should not be made public. 

"The FBI has made no such commitment, at least as long as I was there. Dawood is in Pakistan, under ISI’s protection and to say he will be arrested with the help of FBI is ridiculous," said Singh.

Singh, who retired in June as federal home secretary, has made a series of allegations against Shinde, including that he protected a Mumbai businessman allegedly linked to Ibrahim, interferred in police work, and took money for police postings.

Singh’s comments to the media on Tuesday sparked a political row between India’s ruling Congress party and the BJP, the main opposition party.

"Shinde prevented Delhi Police from interrogating a businessman in the IPL (Indian Premier League) match fixing case. Agencies suspect this businessman has links with underworld don Dawood. There is even no assurance from FBI on Dawood, I was present at that conference with Shinde, he is lying," Singh told a private news channel.

The staff at Shinde’s residence would regularly send chits with names of people who should be posted as SHOs (Station House Officers) and I heard this was done in lieu of money," he alleged.

Congress has reacted strongly to the allegations of the former bureaucrat terming it as a "shocking opportunism" of "poll season" instead of complaining to the higher authorities.

A senior Congress politician told Anadolu Agency that the nature and timing of the allegations are part of the BJP’s "dirty-tricks" department.

"Why did Singh keep quiet as a home secretary when he was aware of the alleged wrongdoing? He is guilty of connivance," the Congress leader said on the condition of anonymity.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh reacted strongly saying the diplomat-turned-politician wanted a "post-retirement position" of power.

"Is it not a fact that he tried to get a post-retirement position from the UPA (United Progressive Alliance)? Is it not a fact that he approached (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar for a position?" Singh said.

The BJP demanded a complete probe into the allegations of the former diplomat saying the home minister should be sacked immediately.

"If Mr Shinde is found to have intervened in the match-fixing probe, he needs to be sacked immediately," said Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader.

Former top police officer Kiran Bedi, who endorsed BJP’s candidate for prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday, questioned the motive of Singh’s allegations.

"What did you do as the Home Secretary? Did you tell the PM (Prime Minister) of the unlawful instructions? If not then you’re at fault. If you get any unlawful orders complain to the higher officials. Don’t say things after retiring," said Bedi, a prominent social activist.

Singh’s allegation comes after Shinde on January 9 said that the Indian government was working along with the US domestic law enforcement agency FBI in bringing India’s most wanted fugitive terrorist Ibrahim to India.

"Efforts are on to track Dawood. We are in talks with the FBI," Shinde had said while touring Solapur town in western state of Maharashtra. 

Under Shinde’s tenure as home minister, India has successfully brought a number of terror suspects from abroad.

Singh’s political ambition became clear when he joined the right-wing BJP last week fuelling the speculation that he may contest the May 2014 national election from northern state of Bihar.

Anadolu Agency, January 14, 2014

India set to be declared Polio -free

File photo of a child being administered polio drops (Pic: WorldBulletin.net)

NEW DELHI (AA) - In one of the most challenging public healthcare breakthroughs, India on Monday completed three years without a single Polio case, marking the gestation period to be declared a Polio -eradicated country by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Thanks to a sustained vaccination drive, Monday’s milestone is of significant importance as India was the only country in the Southeast Asian region with Polio cases. The last Polio case was reported from the eastern state of West Bengal three years ago on January 13, 2011.

"Proud day for all of us Indians. India is Polio -free for three years,” an exuberant RPN Singh, Junior Home Minister, wrote on his Twitter page.

India was declared “Polio-free” last year by WHO, but it is only after three years time that a nation is declared to have “eradicated” Polio.

India is likely to get the certificate from the WHO in this regard by February's end.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership initiative, said in a statement that with a densely-concentrated population of more than one billion people, India was once considered the most challenging place on earth to end Polio

Backed by local religious and community leaders, more than two million vaccinators worked in every nook and corner of the country, convincing people of the efficacy of Polio drops and the perils of the centuries-old scourge.

“The country’s success is a result of remarkable commitment at all levels, from the highest reaches of government to the heroic 2.3 million vaccinators delivering Polio drops to local communities,” the statement said.

GPEI said India’s triumph is a landmark achievement that will vastly benefit children's health in India and around the world.

Shakeel Ansari, a foreman at a textile factory in Malegaon, 300 kms north of Mumbai, expressed to Anadolu Agency (AA) his happiness at knowing that Polio has been eradicated from the country.

“My son was not so lucky but I still feel happy that the mysterious disease of Polio has been eradicated,” Ansari told AA.

Tufail, Ansari’s 17-year old son, contracted the Polio virus in 1997 when he was barely 6 months old.

The young Tufail, who leads a normal life despite paralysis, was not administered Polio drops because of lack of awareness.

Ansari said his son dropped out of school to learn sewing as he was not successful in his studies.

In 2009, India accounted for half of all cases worldwide with 741 infections that led to paralysis.

In 2010, the number fell to double digits due a massive Polio eradication drive.

In 1985, India reported 150,000 cases of paralytic Polio.

India was once recognized as the world’s epicenter of Polio.

In 2012, WHO said that India seems to have “interrupted wild Polio virus transmission,” completing one year without Polio. 

Despite achieving the milestone, the challenge remains as hundreds of families have refused to administer Polio drops to their kids in the recent past.

A senior government doctor confirmed to AA that in 2012, an estimated 800 families refused Polio drops in Malegaon town alone, fearing their children may become “sterile” after taking the drops.

The doctor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there is no time for celebration and complacency.

“India must maintain sensitive surveillance and high childhood immunity against the Polio virus despite the recent success,” the doctor said.

Anadolu Agency, January 13, 2014

Indian diplomat concerned about children in US

File photo of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade (Pic: Rediff.com)

NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, who flew from the United States to India on Friday and may never go to the US again, has expressed “apprehension and anguish” on Sunday over the future of her family including the two young daughters who remain in that country.

39-year old Khobragade, who was indicted in a US court and granted full diplomatic immunity on Thursday, told a national daily on Sunday that she doesn’t know whether she will be able to ever reunite with her American family.

“I wonder if I will be able to ever reunite with my family, my husband, my little kids. I miss them,” Khobragade told The Sunday Express.

Khobragade, at the centre of a diplomatic row between India and United States, was accused of visa fraud and underpayment to her maid Sangeeta Richard she brought from India.

Khobragade said her family was one of the biggest worries on her mind currently.

“What if my children choose to study and work in the US? What if I can never return to the US, which I cannot now… Does it mean we will never be able to live together as a family again?,” she said.

The US State Department has communicated to the Indian side that Khobragade’s name would be “placed in visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent routine issuance of any future visa” making it impossible for the diplomat to go to the United States even to meet her American family. The US also said that an arrest warrant may be issued against the diplomat.

Khobragade is married to a well-known American academic and has two daughters aged seven and four in New York.

“My little kids, who have never been separated from me, are too young to realise that their mother will not return home any time soon. (That) in fact she would never return to that same house again,” Khobragade said.

Khobragade said it feels good to be among the people who support you but the legal battle remains in the US.

“I have come to India but my stand still needs to be vindicated. And of course, I have been separated from my family, and I am under immense stress for my children,” she said.

Khobragade’s American lawyer Daniel Arshack has moved an application in a federal court seeking dismissal of the visa fraud case against her.

Khobragade said she was “honest” and come out “clean”.

“I know I am honest, and I will come out clean. But we do not know how much time it will take and for how long my family will have to suffer due to this,” she said.

In a “retaliatory” measure, India on Friday asked the US Embassy in Delhi to withdraw an officer of rank similar to that of Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, who was asked to leave the US on Thursday after being indicted in a US court.

On Friday, a senior Indian official told Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity that the role of a particular US official was “questionable” in a month long diplomatic slugfest between India and US, resulting in the indictment and subsequent expulsion of Khobragade.

It is widely believed that the US official in Delhi Embassy may have played an active role in granting expedited visas to the husband and two children of the maid Sangeeta Richard, allowing the family to fly to the US just two days before the arrest of the diplomat.

In December, media reports hinted that contacts within the US diplomatic community would have come into play as Richard’s in-laws reportedly work for the American embassy in New Delhi.

The US approved Khobragade’s accreditation at India’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations on Wednesday helping the indicted diplomat to fly back to India.

On December 18, India transferred Khobragade to India’s Permanent Mission in New York hoping that the diplomat would receive full immunity.

India pressed for criminal charges against Khobragade to be dropped, taking a slew of “retaliatory” measures against the US Embassy and consular officials.

On January 8, India asked the US Embassy in Delhi to stop commercial activities by January 16 including its restaurant, bar, bowling alley, beauty parlour, gym, tennis court, swimming pool etc. on the grounds that the presence of all those facilities violated the Vienna Convention.

On January 7, Khobragade’s father Uttam Khobragade, a retired Indian diplomat, protested outside the US Consulate in Mumbai demanding that the charges against his daughter were false and should be waived.

On December 17, India withdrew a host of privileges accorded to all US Consular officials in India including the withdrawal of airport passes, cancellation of import duty waivers on food and liquor etc. Security barricades outside the US Embassy in Delhi were also removed in retaliation to the arrest of the diplomat.

Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested by the police in New York Police on the morning of December 12 while she was dropping off her young daughters to school. She was publicly handcuffed, allegedly strip-searched and placed in a prison cell. She was released on bail of $250,000 in the evening.

Khobragade was allegedly paying Richard $3.11 per hour instead of the promised mandatory US wage of $9.75.

However, Indian officials portray a more complicated legal picture, saying that Richard has been absconding since June this year as a Delhi high court had issued an interim injunction in September restraining her from instituting any action or proceedings against Khobragade outside India, according to the terms and conditions of her employment.

The Indian Embassy in Washington had requested the US government to locate Richard, Khobragade's maid, and facilitate the implementation of an arrest warrant, issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of the South District Court in New Delhi.

Anadolu Agency, January 12, 2014

India expels US Diplomat

Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade addressing media along with his father (Pic: NDTV)

NEW DELHI (AA) - The tit-for-tat diplomacy seemed to be at work on Friday as India asked the US Embassy in Delhi to withdraw an officer of similar rank to that of Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York. Kobragade was asked to leave the US on Thursday after being indicted for visa fraud and making false statements regarding the employment of a maid she brought from India.

A senior Indian official told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity that the role of a particular US official was "questionable" in a month-long diplomatic slugfest between India and US resulting in the indictment and subsequent expulsion of Khobragade.

It is widely believed that the US official in the Delhi Embassy may have played an active role in granting expedited visas to the husband and two children of the maid Sangeeta Richard, allowing the family to fly to the US just two days before the arrest of the diplomat. In December, media reports hinted that contacts within the US diplomatic community would have come into play as Richard’s in-laws reportedly work for the American Embassy in New Delhi.

Khobragade flew back home on Friday hours after she was granted full diplomatic immunity and indicted in a US court on charges of visa fraud and making a false statement regarding the employment of her maid.

A senior Indian official told Anadolu Agency that the US State Department formally asked India to arrange the diplomat’s departure after the US request to waive her diplomatic immunity for trial was rejected by the Indian side on January 9.

India's Foreign Ministry said that Khobragade has been transferred to New Delhi.

Friday’s development is seen as a "partial diplomatic victory" by India as the US refused to drop the charges, only granting full immunity.

The full diplomatic immunity entitles 39-year-old Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, to travel out of the United States without facing the allegations of visa fraud and underpayment to the maid.

"I will show my immunity to the court. The court will see that I have diplomatic immunity. Only then will I leave the US," Press Trust of India quoted Khobragade as saying before leaving the US.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said Khobragade was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy on January 8 under the terms of Section 15 of the Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and the US.

Khobragade affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode will not have a "lasting impact" on her family, including her two daughters who are still in the US.

With India taking a swift "retaliatory" action, the diplomatic row between India and the US seem to continue the lingering bitterness between the two nations.

The US approved Khobragade’s accreditation at India’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations on Wednesday helping the indicted diplomat to fly back toIndia.

On December 18, India transferred Khobragade to India’s Permanent Mission in New York hoping that the diplomat would receive full immunity.

A top US official reportedly said that the refusal to grant the accreditation request "would be almost without precedent . . . except in the event of national security risks, including espionage."

The charges against Khobragade will remain in the US court on two counts: charges of visa fraud and making false statements. The diplomat, who is married to a US national, would face trial if she returns to the US without any diplomatic immunity.

India pressed for criminal charges against Khobragade to be dropped, taking a slew of "retaliatory" measures against the US Embassy and consular officials.

On January 8, India asked the US Embassy in Delhi to stop commercial activities by January 16 including its restaurant, bar, bowling alley, beauty parlour, gym, tennis court, swimming pool on the grounds that the presence of all those facilities violated the Vienna Convention.

On January 7, Khobragade’s father Uttam Khobragade, a retired Indian diplomat, protested outside the US Consulate in Mumbai demanding that the charges against his daughter were false and should be waived.

On December 17, India withdrew a host of privileges accorded to all US Consular officials in India including the withdrawal of airport passes, cancellation of import duty waivers on food and liquor. Security barricades outside the US Embassy in Delhi were also removed in retaliation to the arrest of the diplomat.

Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested by the police in New York Police on the morning of December 12 while she was dropping off her young daughters to school. She was publicly handcuffed, allegedly strip-searched and placed in a prison cell. She was released on bail of $250,000 in the evening.

Khobragade was allegedly paying Richard $3.11 per hour instead of the promised mandatory US wage of $9.75.

However, Indian officials portray a more complicated legal picture, saying that Richard, Khobragade's maid, has been absconding since June last year as a Delhi high court had issued an interim injunction in September restraining her from instituting any action or proceedings against Khobragade outside India, according to the terms and conditions of her employment.

The Indian Embassy in Washington had requested the US government to locate Richard and facilitate the implementation of an arrest warrant, issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of the South District Court in New Delhi.

Anadolu Agency, January 10, 2014

Indian diplomat leaves US after indictment

File photo of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade (Pic: The New Indian Express)

NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest in the US has sparked a major diplomatic row, left the United States for India hours after she was granted full diplomatic immunity and indicted in a US court on charges of visa fraud and making a false statement regarding the employment of her maid Sangeeta Richard. 

India's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Khobragade has left the US for India, where she has been transferred to an equivalent government post.

"At the time of her departure for India, Counsellor Khobragade reiterated her innocence on the charges filed against her. She affirmed her gratitude to the government of India, in particular to the External Affairs Minister and the people of India, and also the media, for their strong and sustained support during this period," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday morning.

The full diplomatic immunity entitles 39-year old Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, to travel out of the United States without facing the allegations of visa fraud and underpayment to the maid.

Before leaving the US, Khobragade said, "I will show my immunity to the court. The court will see that I have diplomatic immunity. Only then I will leave the US," reported Press Trust of India.

The Indian Foreign Ministry said Khobragade was accorded the privileges and immunities of a diplomatic envoy on January 8 under the terms of Section 15 of the Headquarters Agreement between the United Nations and the US.

Khobragade also affirmed her determination to ensure that the episode will not have a "lasting impact" on her family, including her two daughters who are still in the US.

A senior Indian official told Anadolu Agency that the US State Department formally asked India to arrange the diplomat’s departure after the US request to waive her diplomatic immunity for trial was rejected by the Indian side on January 9.

The diplomatic row between India and the US seems to have taken an interesting turn with the US State Department approving Khobragade’s accreditation at India’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations. The State Department decision helped the diplomat to fly out the country.

On December 18, India transferred Khobragade to India’s Permanent Mission in New York hoping that the diplomat would receive full immunity.

A top US official reportedly said that the refusal to grant the accreditation request "would be almost without precedent . . . except in the event of national security risks, including espionage."

The charges against Khobragade will remain in the US court on two counts: charges of visa fraud and making false statements. The diplomat, who is married to a US national, would face trial if she returns to the US without any diplomatic immunity.

Friday’s development is seen as a "partial diplomatic victory" by India as the US refused to drop the charges, only granting full immunity.

India pressed for criminal charges against Khobragade to be dropped, taking a slew of "retaliatory" measures against the US Embassy and consular officials.

On January 8, India asked the US Embassy in Delhi to stop commercial activities by January 16 including its restaurant, bar, bowling alley, beauty parlour, gym, tennis court, swimming pool etc. on the grounds that the presence of all those facilities violated the Vienna Convention.

On January 7, Khobragade’s father Uttam Khobragade, a retired Indian diplomat, protested outside the US Consulate in Mumbai demanding that the charges against his daughter were false and should be waived.

On December 17, India withdrew a host of privileges accorded to all US Consular officials in India including the withdrawal of airport passes, cancellation of import duty waivers on food and liquor etc. Security barricades outside the US Embassy in Delhi were also removed in retaliation to the arrest of the diplomat.

Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested by the police in New York Police on the morning of December 12 while she was dropping off her young daughters to school. She was publicly handcuffed, allegedly strip-searched and placed in a prison cell. She was released on bail of $250,000 in the evening.

Khobragade was allegedly paying Richard $3.11 per hour instead of the promised mandatory US wage of $9.75.

However, Indian officials portray a more complicated legal picture, saying that Richard has been absconding since June this year as a Delhi high court had issued an interim injunction in September restraining her from instituting any action or proceedings against Khobragade outside India, according to the terms and conditions of her employment.

The Indian Embassy in Washington had requested the US government to locate Richard, Khobragade's maid, and facilitate the implementation of an arrest warrant, issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of the South District Court in New Delhi.

Anadolu Agency, January 10, 2014

US Embassy told to stop all commercial activities

A file photo of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade 

NEW DELHI (AA) - Stepping up the ante over the arrest and subsequent prosecution of its diplomat Devyani Khobragade in United States, India on Wednesday asked the US embassy to stop all commercial activities in its New Delhi premises by January 16, sources said.

Hardening its stand, the Indian government asked the US embassy to discontinue commercial activities including its restaurant, bar, bowling alley, beauty parlour, gym, tennis court etc. as the presence of all these facilities violates the Vienna Convention.

Indian officials maintain that the extension of commercial activities to non-diplomats is a violation of Article 41(3) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, which India is no longer willing to ignore.

Indian officials cited the relevant provision of the the convention which states that “the premises of the mission must not be used in any manner incompatible with the functions of the mission as laid down in the present convention or by other rules of general international law or by any special agreements in force between the sending and the receiving State”.

Press Trust of India reported that the embassy has also been asked to provide the tax returns filed by it with Indian authorities for commercial activities which are afforded through American Community Support Association (ACSA) to non-diplomatic persons including private American citizens and their families.

It has also been communicated to the embassy that its diplomatic cars would have to follow local traffic laws and the failure of which would incur penalties.

Wednesday’s development into the Indo-US diplomatic spat comes ahead of January 13 deadline for the indictment of Khobragade in a New York court. On Tuesday, defence lawyer for Khobragade sought for the extension of the deadline which was opposed by Indian-American prosecutor Preet Bharara.

Khobragade is accused of visa fraud and underpayment to her Indian maid Sangeeta Richard.

39-year old Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested by New York Police Department on the morning of December 12 as she was dropping off her young daughters to school. She was publicly handcuffed, allegedly strip-searched and put in a cell with common criminals including drug addicts. She was released on a bail of $250,000 in the evening.

Khobragade was allegedly paying Richard $3.11 per hour instead of the promised mandatory US wages of $9.75.

However, Indian officials portray a more complicated legal picture, saying that Richard has been absconding since June this year as a Delhi high court had issued an interim injunction in September restraining her from instituting any action or proceedings against Khobragade outside India according to the terms and conditions of her employment.

The Indian embassy had requested the US government to locate Richard, Khobragade's maid, and facilitate the implementation of an arrest warrant, issued by the Metropolitan Magistrate of the South District Court in New Delhi under Sections 387, 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code.

On Tuesday, Khobragade’s father Uttam Khobragade, a retired Indian diplomat, protested outside the Mumbai US Consulate demanding that the charges against his daughter were false and should be waived.

US authorities including Secretary of State John Kerry have expressed regret last month over the circumstances of Khobragade’s arrest but the Indian side demands a clear and unambiguous apology.

On December 18, India transferred Khobragade to India’s Permanent Mission in New York hoping that the diplomat would get full immunity but US authorities are yet to process the request.

On December 17, India withdrew a host of privileges accorded to all US Consular officials in India including the withdrawal of airport passes, cancellation of import duty waiver on food and liquor etc. Security barricades outside the Delhi embassy were also removed in retaliation to the arrest of the diplomat.

Anadolu Agency, January 8, 2013

Alleged LeT operatives met two people in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar: Delhi Police

File photo of police patrol (Pic: AA)

NEW DELHI (AA) - Delhi police on Tuesday claimed that two suspected Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives met two people in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The allegation comes three months after Congress Vice-President and Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi stoked a political controversy claiming that Pakistan’s main intelligence service ISI had approached disgruntled victims of Muzaffarnagar riots.

The LeT is one of the most active terrorist networks in South Asia.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday evening, S.N. Shrivastava, Delhi Police’s chief special commissioner, told the media that Liyaqat and Zameer, two residents of Muzaffarnagar, were met by suspected LeT operatives Mohammed Shahid and Mohammed Rashid, both of them imams arrested recently in the Haryana state.

However, Shrivastava was quick to deny a newspaper report that two residents were riot victims or had anything to do with Muzaffarnagar communal riots, which killed 61 people, most of them Muslims.

The Indian Express daily reported on Tuesday that two imams from Haryana had allegedly visited the relief camps where the victims of Muzaffarnagar communal riots are living and offered money to lure cadres.

“I would like to make it very clear that both Liyaqat and Zameer are not victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots, they have nothing to do with them. Although they live in Muzaffarnagar, they are not riot victims,” Shrivastava said.

In a spate of violence that broke out on September 7, at least 61 people were killed in Muzaffarnagar and neighboring towns and villages after a Muslim man was killed by the brother and cousin of a Hindu girl after allegedly harassing her.

The two killers -- from the Hindu Jat community -- were reportedly lynched by the family of the slain Muslim and others in the locality.

- LeT operatives ‘busted’

According to the senior police officer, the two suspects Shahid and Rashid approached Liqayat, a teacher with UP education department, and Zameer, a petty criminal, for a “kidnapping plot” and promised that “ransom money could be used to build a mosque”.

When asked by a reporter whether Zameer was told that money would also be used to avenge Muzaffarnagar riots, Shrivastava said, “It is just one-sided statement right now and unless we verify it, make more arrests in the case and interrogate them, we will not give any statement in the case till then”.

Zameer grew suspicious of the duo after they met him twice in Delhi, persuading him to arrange some men through whom kidnapping can be carried out and that money can be utilized in building mosque and other activities. Zameer alerted the Delhi police.

In December, Delhi police arrested the two alleged operatives Shahid and Rashid from Mewat region in Haryana claiming to have “busted” an active “LeT terror module” which was planning a militant strike in India’s capital.

“We interrogated them, checked their background and tracked all those people who were in contact with them,” Shrivastava said.

The Delhi Police tracked them down after the arrested clerics allegedly confessed that they had been ordered by the LeT to visit Muzaffarnagar and meet an old LeT operative, Abdul Subhan, who allegedly advised them to make gradual inroads in the riot-affected region.

However, India’s federal ministry said it is not convinced about the LeT link yet and further investigation is needed to support the Delhi police claim, reported NDTV, an English-language news channel.

Liqayat and Zameer appeared before a magistrate on Monday in Delhi and recorded their statements under India’s Criminal Procedure Code implicating the two LeT suspects.

In an election campaign rally in October 2013, Rahul Gandhi stoked a controversy claiming that intelligence officials told him that Pakistan’s ISI was trying to recruit dissatisfied youth from among the victims of Muzaffarnagar riots.

Anadolu Agency, January 7, 2014

Gang-rape victim’s family meets the President

People in Kolkata holding candlelight in the memory of the teenager (Pic: IANS)

NEW DELHI (AA) - The family of the West Bengal teenage girl, who was gang-raped twice in October and burnt alive by the accomplices of the alleged rapists, met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, a fellow Bengali, on Tuesday and demanded a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) inquiry into the shocking incident.

The 16-year old  daughter of a cab driver from northern state of Bihar, who was gang-raped by six men in October on two consecutive days in Madhyamgram town, a 90 minute drive from Kolkata, the state capital, died in a Kolkata hospital on December 31 while fighting severe burns.

All the six men were arrested and charged for rape. 

After the meeting with the President, the family members of the victim told the media that they were threatened by the police and asked to forget the case. “The police threatened me and told me to forget the case or I won’t be able to drive your taxi. The public are supporting us but not the state government,” the father of the teenage girl alleged saying attempts were being made to send his family to Bihar.

Before meeting the President, the family of the victim met Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW) Mamata Sharma who promised to investigate the gruesome incident independently. “The police should have given them protection after the first rape complaint. We will investigate,” Ms. Sharma said. 

In her dying declaration to the police on December 31, the girl stated that two men poured kerosene over her and set her on fire on December 23. The two men were arrested the next day but police disclosed the girl’s statement only on January 2.

At the time of her death, the victim was reportedly pregnant. Additional Commissioner of Police, (Bidhannagar police) Anant told the media on January 4 that the victim was pregnant at the time of her death quoting the doctor who treated her.

“We have sent the fetus to the forensic science laboratory for determination of the age of the fetus,” Anant had said.

The victim’s family members met West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan on Friday demanding the death penalty for the rapists. They also sought security for the family.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an international rights group, had condemned the incident and questioned the role of police.

“Police appeared to have done nothing to protect the young woman and her family after her initial complaint of being a victim to a heinous kind of gang rape,” the group said in a media statement.

“Police appeared to have heartlessly pressurized the family to dispose of her body for its mishandling in order to save themselves from dealing with public anger and protest,” the group said.

The police reportedly wanted a quiet and hasty cremation against the wishes of the victim’s father, who being a loyalist of a Leftist trade union, wanted to organize a public funeral procession.

West Bengal’s Leftist opposition alleges that state administration wanted to bury the truth along with the girl maintaining that no security was provided to the young girl after being sexually assaulted twice.

On Friday morning, the funeral rites of the victim seem to have generated a political controversy with the presence of TMC (Trinamool Congress) politician Ashok Jha who objected to the presence of CPM (Communist Party of Indian-Marxist) councillor Sudhangshu Seal.

Jha, a former parliamentarian, reportedly kept shouting over the presence of Seal leaving the grieving family in a state of shock.

Anadolu Agency, January 7, 2014