NEW YORK — An Indian diplomat accused of lying about how much she paid her housekeeper was asked to leave the U.S. on Thursday after she was indicted on two criminal charges and Indian authorities refused to waive immunity, authorities said.
Devyani Khobragade, 39, was charged by a federal grand jury in New York City with visa fraud and making false statements in a case that has triggered an outcry in India. She is accused of fraudulently obtaining a work visa for her New York housekeeper.
Khobragade left the country Thursday night by plane, a U.S. government official said.
Authorities say Khobragade claimed to pay her Indian maid $4,500 per month but actually gave her far less than the U.S. minimum wage. The indictment said Khobragade had made multiple false representations to U.S. authorities, or caused them to be made, to obtain a visa for a personal domestic worker. Her arrest last month sparked outrage in India.
