New York/Washington, January 7
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade has sought one-month extension of the deadline for charging her in the visa fraud case, but her plea has been opposed by the prosecution, even as the US today said it wants to resolve the “ordeal” as soon as possible.

Khobragade has requested for the extension of the January 13 indictment deadline, saying the “pressure of the impending” deadline is interfering with the ability of the parties to have meaningful discussions.

India-born US prosecutor Preet Bharara’s office is required to file charges against the 39-year-old diplomat within 30 days of her arrest.

However, in the request submitted late yesterday with Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Khobragade’s counsel sought postponement of the preliminary hearing date, currently scheduled for January 13 and extension of the indictment deadline by 30 days “to and including February 12, 2014”.

“Significant communications have been had between the prosecution and the defence and amongst other government officials and it is our strong view that the pressure of the impending deadline is counterproductive to continued communications,” Khobragade’s counsel Daniel Arshack said in the request.

Responding to Arshack’s request, Bharara wrote to the judge that his office was opposed to the extension of deadline sought by Khobragade, saying plea discussions could continue even after she was charged. PTI