Journalism of Courage
In the second week of July,days after Sangeeta Richard left Devyani Khobragades home,the formers husband Philip filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court,only to withdraw it. The petition,accessed by The Indian Express,alleged harassment and claimed Sangeeta had been arrested in the US following a false complaint of theft.
The petition was withdrawn on July 19 as the court declined to hear it,admitted Tariq Adeeb,an advocate with the Human Rights Law Network who had filed it on Philips behalf. He claimed Sangeeta had been arrested on July 8.
The petition,seeking orders to have Sangeeta sent to India,and an inquiry into the treatment to her,alleged that Uttam Khobragade,Devyanis father,had threatened them saying they would have to face dire consequences if Sangeeta complains and that he would ruin their future,get them abducted and frame false charges of drugs against them.
They had been planning since the beginning that they would file false allegations, Uttam Khobragade told The Indian Express. When they saw that they would not get anything from the courts,they withdrew the application.
