An Indian maid -- who had accused her former employer, an IFS officer, and her husband of harassment and "slavery" -- has received a favourable ruling from a United States court, which approved her petition that she be awarded USD 1.5 million (Rs 78 cr) as compensation by the couple.
The Union government was on Tuesday asked by Delhi high court to furnish documents including a copy of the contract signed between it and the Indian maid who has pursued a case in the United States against her former employers, an Indian diplomat and her husband, for allegedly abusing her.
The case of Devyani Khobragade, a top Indian diplomat accused of fraud by her domestic help, is the third instance where maids working for diplomats at the Indian consulate General in New York have complained against their employers.
Deploring the arrest of Deputy Consul General in New York, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Friday summoned United States Ambassador Nancy Powell to convey India's "shock" over "absolutely unacceptable" treatment meted out to the senior Indian diplomat.
Workers' outfits staged a rally outside the Indian Consulate in New York to show support for Sangeeta Richard, whose allegations of low wages and exploitation led to the Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade. George Joseph reports
The Government of India and the Indian community in the United States have strongly condemned the arrest of Dr Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York. Some activists blamed the Indian government's failure, claiming that the issue with the domestic help, Sangeeta Richard, was not handled properly though the Indian authorities had faced two similar cases in New York earlier.
Devyani Khobragade, deputy consul general at the Indian consulate in New York, was arrested on charges that she allegedly presented fraudulent documents to the United States State Department in support of a visa application for an Indian national employed as a babysitter and housekeeper at her home in Manhattan.
Contracts with India-based domestic assistants for officials abroad have become a headache for the Indian government.
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