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| Ms Khobragade's case caused outrage in India |
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An Indian diplomat whose arrest in the US sparked protests from India has been given diplomatic immunity and has left the US, prosecutors say.
They wrote
to a New York judge on Thursday announcing a grand jury had indicted Devyani
Khobragade but said she would be "unavailable" for trial.
Ms
Khobragade was detained on charges of visa fraud and of underpaying her
housekeeper in New York last month.
India had
demanded an apology for her "humiliation" including a strip-search.
US Attorney
Preet Bharara said in the letter to the judge: "We understand that the
defendant was very recently accorded diplomatic immunity status and that she
departed the United States today."
He said
authorities would continue to prosecute the case if Ms Khobragade, 39, was to
return to the US in a "non-immune capacity".
Ms
Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, was detained on
suspicion of visa fraud and making false statements, after being accused of
paying her Indian maid below the US minimum wage.
She was
handcuffed and strip-searched after a complaint from the maid, Sangeeta
Richard.
Ms
Khobragade denied all the charges and in turn accused Ms Richard of theft and
attempted blackmail.
Delhi
ordered a series of diplomatic reprisal measures against the US, and relations
between the two countries have been strained over the case.
Security
barricades around the US embassy in the capital were removed and a visiting US
delegation was snubbed by senior Indian politicians and officials.
And on
Wednesday, the US embassy in Delhi was ordered to stop "commercial
activities on its premises". India also said that embassy cars could be
penalised for traffic offences.
The embassy
has been told to shut down a club within its premises which includes a pool,
restaurant and tennis court, NDTV news channel said.
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