New Delhi has said that it would continue to seriously pursue any misuse of diplomatic privileges by US diplomats in India.

Dismissing reports from New York quoting US officials that they are going ahead with the indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, Mininstry of External Affairs Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that in a pluralistic democracy there were many voices but the government will respond to the designated channel, which is the US State Department in this case.

He said the US State Department has conveyed that a process is on to look into the entire arrest incident and India is awaiting an authorised response.

The US Ambassador to India, Nancy Powell has expressed regrets for the circumstances of the arrest of Indian Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade. In a new year message to India, Powell said that she believes that the two countries can look forward to continuing to expand their bilateral relations.

Referring to various developments between India and the US in a wide-range of areas, she said, this forward movement has been jolted by very different reactions to issues involving a consular officer and her domestic worker. India has been consistently demanding the case be withdrawn unconditionally against Khobragade.