India-West, News Report, Posted: Aug 01, 2012

 
Prabhu Dayal, India’s Consul General in New York, has reportedly settled a case with his former maid, Santosh Bhardwaj, who had accused him of forced labor and underpayment of wages.

According to documents filed with legal depository Pacer, an order of dismissal of the case was signed July 3 by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who gave both parties 30 days to challenge the dismissal. Details of the settlement have not been disclosed.

Bhardwaj’s attorney, Hollis Pfitsch of the Legal Aid Society, told India-West she could neither confirm nor comment on the purported settlement, nor disclose Bhardwaj’s current whereabouts. David Burger, who represented Dayal and his wife Chandini, who had also been named in the suit, saidt that the settlement agreement stipulated that there be no discussion of the case with the press.

But Ravi Batra, who also represented the Dayals, told India-West in an e-mail, "I’m delighted to learn that this case has settled, especially, when it had fraudulent birth defects.”

“Cases of this sort are troubling, as they have the potential to harm foreign sovereignty by piercing a diplomat’s private calendar as needed proof to combat a wages and hours claim, which in turn invites retaliatory reciprocity that harms American diplomacy on foreign soil.”

“Hospitality is a core diplomatic asset that ought not be