New Delhi: In a tough reciprocal action, India today downgraded the immunity of certain category of US diplomats and withdrew the immunity enjoyed by their family members, in fallout of the arrest of a senior Indian diplomat in New York.
US consular officials in four consulates in India are being issued new ID cards specifying the limited immunity which will not protect them from serious offences.
This is in line with the restricted immunity given to India's Consular officials in the US.
Families of American consular officials will no longer have diplomatic ID cards, an out of way privilege enjoyed by them in India. Families of Indian consular officials do not have any such privileges.
After the arrest and strip search of its senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York in a visa fraud case, India had reacted angrily and had taken slew of steps to curtail privileges enjoyed by the US diplomats.
It had asked all the US consular officials and their families to surrender their ID cards by yesterday for a review of their immunity and other benefits.
Sources said India has decided to take firm reciprocal steps following the end of the deadline for surrender of Identity Cards provided to US Consular Staff in India.
