NEW DELHI, Dec 19 � Stepping up pressure on the US, India today demanded that the case against senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade be dropped unconditionally amid indications that the two sides are working behind the scene to resolve the issue that has strained the ties, reports PTI.
A day after US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed regret over the arrest, his counterpart Salman Khurshid went public with the demand that the case against 39-year-old Khobragade, who was arrested and strip searched in a visa fraud case, should be withdrawn.
�The case does not deserve to be pursued,� Khurshid said, adding, �Our relationship has a lot of investment... And we have to deal with it sensibly�.
There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity since yesterday with Kerry calling up India�s National Security Advisor and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman speaking to Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh for about 40 minutes last night. US President Barack Obama was also briefed, after which the White House described the arrest as an �isolated incident� and hoped that the matter would not derail bilateral ties.