Khobragade case: India seeks details of possible U.S. tax violations

New Delhi – The Indian Government has reportedly sought details about staff in American schools in the country for possible tax violations and revoked ID cards of U.S. consular officials and their families, retaliatory steps for the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York.

The measures suggest that the diplomatic row over the treatment of Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade earlier this month on charges of visa fraud and underpayment of her housekeeper is far from over.

Khobragade, who has denied the charges, was handcuffed and strip-searched while in custody, sparking outrage in India.

Media reports quoted an Indian government official, as saying on Friday that New Delhi had asked the U.S. embassy to provide details about people working in American schools and other U.S. government facilities to determine if they had permission to do so and if they were paying taxes that are mandatory under Indian law.

Diplomats’ spouses who take up work in schools or other embassy facilities are supposed to inform the host country.

Violations of this kind had often been ignored, but the official was further quoted, as saying by a foreign news agency that New Delhi won’t turn a blind eye.

The U.S. embassy declined to comment on the latest steps.