The Centre has tightened the noose around Harish Kumar Dogra by revoking his passport following his continued defiance of the recall order.
NEW DELHI: Nearly a month after withdrawing his accreditation as High Commissioner to New Zealand, government has tightened the noose around Harish Kumar Dogra by revoking his passport following his continued defiance of the recall order.
The passports of Dogra's wife Neeta and their domestic servant Sah have also been revoked, sources told PTI here on Tuesday.
India has sent a note verbale to the New Zealand government informing it about the decision, they said.
New Delhi has told Wellington that it will issue travel documents to Dogra and his family to enable them return home. The Dogra family is currently without any valid visa as their 10-day stay permit expired on May 4.
They are believed to have applied for normal visa and hence have a grace period of 40 days to stay in New Zealand, beginning from May 4, the sources said.
The move, coming about a month after the government stripped Dogra of accreditation, is seen to be aimed at ensuring that the defiant Secretary-rank career-diplomat returned to India.
Recalled in the first week of March following some complaints, Dogra had flayed Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran for the decision and said that he would not return till the head of the foreign service retires in September-end this year.
Accusing Saran of committing "impropriety", the diplomat demanded that the Foreign Secretary prove charges against him or resign. The government had on April 18 stripped Dogra of accreditation and named K P Ernest as the new High Commissioner to New Zealand. The new envoy has already taken up the assignment.
An Indian High Commission official in New Zealand was quoted as saying that Dogra and his wife have been provided with tickets to return home but these have not been utilised.
"Until today, the tickets have not been utilised nor any requests made for a change in departure dates," the New Zealand Herald quoted the unnamed official as saying.
"We believe Dogra is still in New Zealand," the official said, adding that the former envoy was not having any contact with the High Commission in Wellington.
Posted in Wellington two years ago, Dogra was recalled in the first week of March but he refused to obey and decided to go on leave till the "Foreign Secretary retires (in September this year)."
He had sent an eight-page letter to Saran accusing him of committing "improriety" and asking him to prove charges against him or resign.
Appearance of this letter in local media in New Zealand had angered the External Affairs Ministry, which threatened to take disciplinary action against him.
After a few days, Dogra dashed another letter to the Foreign Secretary, accusing him of violating the rules and his human rights and challenged him to prove charges against him.
Dogra has also approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) here challenging the recall order but failed to get any stay so far.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}