Israeli diplomats brawl with Indian official in Delhi
No charges filed, but Indian police investigating three 'junior-level' envoys said to assault immigration officer at airport
Three Israeli security personnel employed by the Foreign Ministry were involved in a violent altercation with Indian immigration officers at New Delhi’s airport Saturday.
Indian police opened a criminal case against the three Israeli diplomats for allegedly abusing and injuring an airport immigration official, despite their diplomatic immunity, an officer said Monday.
According to local media reports, the diplomats were angry over delays in clearing immigration while traveling from Delhi to Kathmandu.
“They kept on arguing with the Indian official at the immigration assistance counter. Once their papers were cleared, they verbally abused the official and when he objected, they pounced on him,” deputy Indian police commissioner M. I. Haider told AFP.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor told the Haaretz daily that the incident involved people in possession of Israeli diplomatic passports, but did not provide their names or titles.
The Times of India, which first reported the affair, described the Israelis as “junior-level diplomats.” According to the Indian daily, the Israelis assailed an immigration officer they accused of intentionally delaying their passage. One allegedly slapped the official while his two colleagues roughed him up.
The trio were not arrested over the incident since they have diplomatic immunity but police have proceeded with a case against them. CCTV footage of the incident would be used to assist the case, Haider said.
Police were obliged to proceed with their investigation despite the diplomatic immunity, with the case to be handed to India’s foreign ministry before any formal charges are filed, Haider said.
“As per law, we have registered the case. It is for the foreign ministry to follow diplomatic rules and formalities. They can take a call on it.”
“After several hours of investigations, all the detainees were released without charges filed against them,” Palmor from the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
A press officer at the Israeli embassy in New Delhi said they were still looking into the matter and were unable to comment immediately.
An Israeli official told Haaretz, “Each party claims that the brawl was started by the other side.” For now, though, the two sides seem interested in downplaying the affair.