India lodges criminal case against Israeli diplomats

Indian police have filed a criminal case against three Israeli diplomats for abusing and injuring an airport immigration official.

Indian media reports say the Israeli diplomats verbally abused the Indian official as they were leaving New Delhi airport late Saturday.

The trio was reportedly angry over delays in clearing immigration.

“They kept on arguing with the Indian official at the immigration assistance counter. Once their papers were cleared, they verbally abused the official and when he objected, they pounced on him,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Airport Security M I Haider said.

They were not arrested since they have diplomatic immunity. The case is to be handed to India’s Foreign Ministry before any formal charges are pressed.

New Delhi has often accused the US and Israeli diplomats of disrespecting local culture and laws.

Last week at the same airport, a New York police officer was arrested when bullets were found in his luggage — a violation of Indian firearms laws.

Some US lawmakers say India has made the arrest to take revenge over the detention of an Indian diplomat in New York last year.

However, the Indian diplomatic mission in New York has denied any links between the two arrests.

In December 2013, Devyani Khobragade, who was deputy consul general at India’s consulate in New York, was arrested and strip-searched over visa fraud, drawing harsh criticism from the Indian government.

In response, the Indian Foreign Ministry ordered the withdrawal of all special ID cards provided to US diplomats and their family members in India.