Waive abusive Indian diplomat’s immunity: UK

Britain’s Foreign Office has asked India to waive the diplomatic immunity of Anil Verma, a senior diplomat in London who was recalled to New Delhi after being accused of beating up his wife.

The UK has said that it will not tolerate diplomats in the country breaking its laws.

British government officials met with Indian officers to stress the seriousness of the incident which happened over a month ago spurring criticism that the issue was being kept on a back-burner by Indian authorities.

After being charged of assaulting his wife on Dec 11 last year, Verma had claimed diplomatic immunity. Instead of waiving his privileges, the Indian government summoned him back to New Delhi.

There also media reports in UK which said his wife, Paromita Verma, has gone into hiding with her five-year-old son fearing she might be forced back to India and sought the permission of the UK government to stay there on humanitarian grounds.

Anil Verma is an IAS of the West Bengal cadre, who is the third senior-most diplomat and Minister (economic) in the Indian High Commission in the UK,

India’s External Affairs Ministry (MEA) a week ago said it was carefully looking into the incident of Verma allegedly escaping prosecution for his diplomatic immunity despite assaulting his wife