DHAKA: Ringing out a year that ended with an unqualified diplomatic disaster in what used to be an almost enviable bilateral relationship, US ambassador to India Nancy Powell used a New Year message to express regrets for ‘the circumstances’ of the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York on December 12.

Wishing Indians a happy new year, Powell said, she joins ‘Secretary Kerry in expressing our regret for the circumstances of the consular officer’s arrest, but we believe that we can look forward to continuing to expand our bilateral relations’.

However, she was careful to confine her regret to the circumstances of the arrest, not the arrest itself. She did not acknowledge the diplomat’s immunity either, which India found recently had been in force since August 26 and certainly covering the time of her arrest.

With the US State Department having signed off for the holidays, there is little movement on the issue. Sources in charge of resolving the impasse believe both sides can come to an understanding that would be mutually acceptable.

But officially the statements remain inflexible which points to a prolonged stalemate.

In New York, US attorney Preet Bharara, special prosecutor in this case, briefed journalists off the record, promising to continue with the case against Khobragade.

Scoffing at the media coverage in India, Bharara said he would carry through the case against Khobragade paying less than fair wages to her maid.

BDST: 1921 HRS, JAN 01, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor