Stunning new twist to the case.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: In a stunning twist to the imbroglio over the Devyani Khobragade fiasco, Philip Richard, the husband of the maid Sangeeta Richard who had filed a case against Khobragade over wages not paid as promised, has filed for divorce from his wife over irreconcilable differences between them.
The couple filed for divorce in January, in New York City, citing irreconcilable differences between them, according to a report in The Indian Express. It’s not clear if he filed for divorce, or it’s done by both parties amicably.
Philip Richard and his two children were flown secretly from India to the US, in December on human trafficking visas, at the behest of the US Attorney for Manhattan Preet Bharara and the US State Department, to fortify their case against Khobragade.
A federal judge dismissed an indictment brought against Khobragade, on Wednesday.
According to the Express report, written from New Delhi, in a phone interview, Richard said he was disappointed with his wife for her lies to him and the couple decided to part ways. He said he would continue to support Sangeeta in her ongoing legal battle against Khobragade.
“She stopped telling me where she is going and with whom. She started to lie. She said something and did just the opposite. But I still support her in the case against Devyani as I know she is not at fault there,†Richard was quoted as saying by the Express.
According to Richard, his wife was ill-treated by Khobragade and that she was forced to approach the immigration office in the US for help after Khobragade refused to let her go back to India.
Philip says that Sangeeta’s grouse with Khobragade was never with her salary but with the way she was being treated.
“Sangeeta often called me complaining about it. It was not the money that she was upset about, but the treatment she got there. Devyani made her work overtime, did not give her enough time to sleep and never let her out of the house,†he alleged.
To contact the author, email to editor@americanbazaaronline.com