Devyani Khobragade Case: US sticks to its guns, demands restoration of diplomatic security

However, Harf said she was "not aware" if the Indian Embassy had informed the State Department about a pending court case in India against Khobragade's former India-based domestic assistant, Sangeeta Richard, who has been absconding since June this year.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is currently in the the Philippines was "aware of what's going on" and the State Department has had "conversations" with the White House about the issue.

Asked if Khobragade was strip-searched, Harf said the State Department was looking into what transpired. While the US State diplomatic security had followed "standard procedures" she could not speak for the US marshals, who took the diplomat into custody.

But in response to specific news media queries about whether a strip search had been conducted on the Indian diplomat, the US Marshals Service confirmed that "standard arrestee intake procedures" were followed.

"Yes, Devyani Khobragade was subject to the same search procedures as other USMS arrestees held within the general prisoner population in the Southern District of New York." It said she had been placed in an "available and appropriate cell," it said in a statement.