India has asked the United States to withdraw a diplomat from the embassy in New Delhi, as an Indian diplomat returned home after being detained on charges of visa fraud in the United States.
An Indian foreign ministry official said India requested that the U.S. remove a diplomat "of a similar rank" to Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest and strip search in New York led to a dispute between India and the U.S.
Khobragade traveled from New York to India Friday, after India turned down a U.S. request to waive her diplomatic immunity.
Khobragade had been serving as India's deputy counsel general in New York when she was arrested on charges of visa fraud for allegedly lying about how much she paid a household aide she brought to New York. On Thursday, U.S. officials accepted India's request to change Khobragade's accreditation to the United Nations as a diplomat, giving her full immunity.
Once she had full immunity, the State Department asked India to waive it so that Khobragade could face charges. India denied the request, so she was asked to leave the country.
A State Department spokesman said the charges against Khobragade will not be dropped, and she would face them if she returned to the United States.
U.S. authorities arrested Khobragade last month on charges that she paid her housekeeper much less than minimum wage and lied about it on the maid's visa application.
Her father, Uttam Khobragade, thanked the India government Friday for its support.
"My daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family; this would not have been possible without the support entire nation, entire media and the government gave to us."
Devyani Khobragade complained she was held in a space with common criminals and drug addicts when she was arrested, despite her repeated assertions that she had diplomatic immunity.
Indian officials have lifted some diplomatic immunity for U.S. officials in New Delhi and have ordered the U.S. embassy to restrict service at an embassy club for diplomats.
Khobragade seems to have garnered more sympathy in India than her employee, who allegedly was paid only a third of the amount Khobragade had reported to U.S. authorities.
An Indian foreign ministry official said India requested that the U.S. remove a diplomat "of a similar rank" to Devyani Khobragade, whose arrest and strip search in New York led to a dispute between India and the U.S.
Khobragade traveled from New York to India Friday, after India turned down a U.S. request to waive her diplomatic immunity.
Khobragade had been serving as India's deputy counsel general in New York when she was arrested on charges of visa fraud for allegedly lying about how much she paid a household aide she brought to New York. On Thursday, U.S. officials accepted India's request to change Khobragade's accreditation to the United Nations as a diplomat, giving her full immunity.
Once she had full immunity, the State Department asked India to waive it so that Khobragade could face charges. India denied the request, so she was asked to leave the country.
A State Department spokesman said the charges against Khobragade will not be dropped, and she would face them if she returned to the United States.
U.S. authorities arrested Khobragade last month on charges that she paid her housekeeper much less than minimum wage and lied about it on the maid's visa application.
Her father, Uttam Khobragade, thanked the India government Friday for its support.
"My daughter is going to come back to her country and unite with the family; this would not have been possible without the support entire nation, entire media and the government gave to us."
Devyani Khobragade complained she was held in a space with common criminals and drug addicts when she was arrested, despite her repeated assertions that she had diplomatic immunity.
Indian officials have lifted some diplomatic immunity for U.S. officials in New Delhi and have ordered the U.S. embassy to restrict service at an embassy club for diplomats.
Khobragade seems to have garnered more sympathy in India than her employee, who allegedly was paid only a third of the amount Khobragade had reported to U.S. authorities.