Jan. 9: A senior diplomat at the Indian high commission in London has been accused of allegedly assaulting his wife. However, no charges have been filed because of his diplomatic immunity.
Mr Anil Verma, who is an IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, is posted as minister (economic) in the Indian high commission in London.
The 1989 batch IAS officer has been an officer-on-special-duty for the Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee. He was posted to London around September 2008 and handles all work linked to trade and economic issues in the Indian high commission.
The Metropolitan police confirmed on Sunday that its officers had visited the diplomat’s residence in upmarket Golders Green area in northwest London in December 2010.
“The police were called to an address at Corringham Road, NW11, at approximately 9.30 am on December 11, 2010, following reports of an assault. A man in his 40s was spoken to by officers. No arrests were made,” a Scotland Yard spokesperson said on Sunday morning.
However, the Met police refused to give any more details about the assault. The Met police informed the UK foreign office about the incident.
“We do not tolerate diplomats working in the UK breaking the law. We expect them to respect the law in the UK in the same way that our diplomats do in other countries,” a spokesperson for the foreign and Commonwealth office said.