Devyani Khobragade Requests Court To Extend Indictment Deadline

By siliconindia | Tuesday, 07 January 2014, 12:39 Hrs

"The deadline is designed to protect defendants from prosecutors who might drag out proceedings...In this case however, an indictment would further polarise the litigants. We would like to avoid that," Arshack said.

The lawyer told the court that he has conferred with the prosecution concerning extending the deadline and has been informed that the prosecution will not seek an extension of the deadline.

"We therefore, wish to inform the court that we waive the 30 day time limit set by the court on December 12, 2013 because we believe that the time limit is interfering with the parties ability to continue to have meaningful discussions," Arshack said in his request to the judge

"We believe that making such a request under these circumstances constitutes good cause and is in 'the public interest' since it is in the interest of justice, not to mention judicial economy, to promote and encourage the very sort of discussions which have taken place to date," he said.

Khobragade, the deputy Counsel General at the Indian Consulate here was arrested on December 12 last year and was presented before the court following her arrest on a criminal complaint. The case was adjourned to January 13, 2014 for indictment or preliminary hearing.

Sources had last week said the US is proceeding with the prosecution of Khobragade and has no intention to withdraw the case of visa fraud against her.

Source: PTI