A federal judge rejected plea to extend January 13 deadline for preliminary hearing on visa fraud issue.
File photo of senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade. - DC
New Delhi/ Washington: In a major setback to Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, a federal judge has rejected her plea to extend the January 13 deadline for a preliminary hearing on the visa fraud issue, the date by when she has to be charged.
Shortly after the issuance of the order in which the judge said “good cause” has not been demonstrated in the plea, Khobragade's laywer Daniel Arshack said he is “considering” other options. The three-page order means the indictment against her will now have to filed before or on January 13. It was issued late on Wednesday.
“We are considering our options,” Khobragade’s lawyer Daniel Arshack was quoted as saying by a news agency when asked about the request for extending the indictment deadline being denied by the judge. He did not elaborate.
However, sources said one of the options Khobragade, 39, now has is to file another motion in court seeking extension of the indictment deadline and preliminary hearing.
In her order, Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn of the US district court for the Southern District of New York said adjournment of the date will not grant her the “relief she seeks” regarding plea negotiations between her and the government to resolve the visa fraud case.
( Source : dc correspondent with agency inputs )
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