Sri Lanka war crimes: DMK top brass to meet on March 20 to discuss India's stand

Chennai:  The DMK's high level committee will meet on March 20 to discuss India's stand on the US resolution against Sri Lanka at a United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session in Geneva. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi had asked the Centre to support the US resolution on war crimes charges against Sri Lanka.

Mr Karunanidhi had said party would review its ties with the UPA if the Centre opposed the US resolution.

Mr Karunanidhi has gone on record saying, "The DMK will deem it as a betrayal of Tamils if the Centre does not support the resolution on Sri Lanka."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had hinted that India would not support the US resolution. However, sources had earlier told NDTV that the government has assured the DMK that it will consider the sentiments while voting in UN.

After Trinamool Congress, the DMK is the largest ally of the Congress-led UPA with 18 members.

The DMK has not been the easiest partner for the Congress. Its relations with the DMK have not been the most cordial ever since Mr Karunanidhi's close aide A Raja and then his daughter Kanimozhi, went to jail in the 2G scam last year. The DMK, with its 18 MPs too has regularly given the Congress a hard time with its brinksmanship and opposition to key policy.

The allied party had embarrassed the government by disrupting the President's speech on the first day of the Budget session.

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In diplomat vs maid case, Delhi court takes tough stand with govt

New Delhi:  The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the government's plea seeking directions to restrain an Indian domestic help, awarded nearly $1.5 million relief for alleged ill-treatment by an Indian consulate employee in the US, from pursuing her case in a New York court.

Justice Kailash Gambhir asked the government why it had made itself a party to the case.

"Why are you filing a case? Why can the diplomat not file apetition on her own? How can Union of India become a party on what happens in the four corners of a flat," the court asked.

Responding to this, Additional Solicitor General A.S. Chandiok said that the government had sent the diplomat to New York. Thus, the government took a stand and filed a petition in the US.

"To bring into the notice of the US court that she is an Indian diplomat, I filed the petition there," Chandiok said.

"Can someone interfere with the administrative service of India," asked Chandiok, adding that the New York court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the maid's complaint.

Chandiok told the court that the diplomat had transferred an amount of Rs.221,000 into the maid's account in lieu of her service which was later reimbursed by the government to the diplomat.

A New York judge last month recommended that maid Shanti Gurung deserved nearly $1.5 million for her "barbaric treatment" by Neena Malhotra, who in 2006 served as press counsellor at the Indian consulate in the US, and her husband Jogesh.

Gurung in her complaint in the US alleged that Malhotra made her work without pay, seized her passport and visa, restricted her ability to leave her apartment and constantly warned her that if she travelled on her own, without their permission, she would be arrested, beaten and raped.

Justice Gambhir on Tuesday sought the bank account details in which the salary of the maid was paid.

The government March 12 approached the court seeking directions to restrain Gurung from pursuing the case in a New York court. It also sought the court to direct Gurung to withdraw the complaint.

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