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{{short description|Indian politician}}

'''Neena Malhotra''' is an [[Indian Foreign Service]] officer. She is currently Indian Ambassador to [[Republic of San Marino]], with residence in [[Rome]].<ref name="appoint">{{cite news |title=Dr Neena Malhotra Named India's Next Envoy To Italy |url=http://www.businessworld.in/article/Dr-Neena-Malhotra-named-India-s-next-envoy-to-Italy/04-09-2020-316486/ |work=BW Businessworld |date=September 4, 2020}}</ref>

==Career==
In early 2020, Malhotra was shuffled from Joint Secretary (Eastern and Southern Africa) to Additional Secretary ([[Indo-Pacific]]).<ref name="africa">{{cite news |title=Ministry of External Affairs undertakes path breaking restructuring exercise |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/ministry-of-external-affairs-undertakes-path-breaking-restructuring-exercise/articleshow/73790362.cms |work=Economic Times |date=January 31, 2020}}</ref> In October 21, 2020 it was announced Malhotra would be Indian Ambassador to [[Republic of San Marino]].<ref name="appoint"/>

==Maid abuse lawsuit==
Neena Malhotra served as press counselor at the Consulate General in New York from 2006 to 2009. Malhotra and her husband Jogesh Malhotra were sued in 2010 for slavery in the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]] by their former maid Shanti Gurung.<ref name="presscounselor">{{cite news |title=Proposal to ensure increased wages for domestic helps revived |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/proposal-to-ensure-increased-wages-for-domestic-helps-revived/1210145/ |work=Indian Express |date=December 21, 2013}}</ref> The lawsuit alleged the Malhotras made Gurung sleep on the floor despite unoccupied bedrooms and regularly work arduous 16-hour days doing housework. Her duties included giving a daily massage for Neena Malhotra, a task that made Gurung "extremely uncomfortable".<ref name="lawsuit">{{cite web |title=Shanti Gurung v. Jogesh Malhotra, et al. |url=http://files.courthousenews.com/2014/01/14/Malhotra.pdf}}</ref> Gurung had her passport taken away and the Malhotras threatened US government agencies would find, beat and rape her if she ran away and did not return.<ref name="lawsuit"/><ref name="IFS Fine Slavery">{{cite web|title=US judge: Pay $1.5 m to maid of Indian diplomat for ill treatment|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/us-judge-pay-1-5-m-to-maid-of-indian-diplomat-for-ill-treatment/|publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=21 December 2016}}</ref> The living conditions according to Gurung were abusive. She often went hungry, lost considerable weight, did not have adequate clothing while running errands during the winter, and suffered physical ailments.<ref name="lawsuit"/>

According to the lawsuit Neena Malhotra also committed misrepresentation to the US government to obtain an [[A visa#A-3|A-3 visa]] for Gurung. Neena Malhotra presented a contract with Gurung that promised $7/hour to the [[Embassy of the United States, New Delhi]] for the visa but instead, the Malhotras had actually promised Gurung a wage of 5,000 Indian rupees (approximately $108 around the time) per month for three years to do "light cooking, light cleaning, and staffing the occasional house parties".<ref name="lawsuit"/> In either case, Gurung alleged she did not receive the promised wages.<ref name="lawsuit"/>

The United States District Judge and former United States Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the [[United Nations]] [[Victor Marrero]] presided over the case.<ref name="FJC">{{cite web|url=https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391016|access-date=October 7, 2019|title=Federal Judicial Center: Victor Marrero}}</ref> Marrero entered a judgment in favor of Shanti Gurung and awarded in 2012 a judgment of US$1,458,335 against the Malhotras based on the finding of United States Magistrate Judge Frank Maas.<ref name="IFS torture">{{cite web|title=US court asks Indian diplomat to pay $1.5m to 'tortured' maid|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/US-court-asks-Indian-diplomat-to-pay-1-5m-to-tortured-maid/articleshow/12010886.cms|work=[[The Times of India]]|accessdate=21 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="lawsuit"/> As of 2016, the judgment remains unpaid.<ref name="immunity">{{cite journal |last1=Vandenberg |first1=Martina E. |last2=Bessell |first2=Sarah |title=Diplomatic Immunity and the Abuse of Domestic Workers: Criminal and Civil Remedies in the United States |journal=Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law |date=2016 |volume=26 |issue=595 |page=598 |url=https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1492&context=djcil}}</ref> Gurung was represented by Mitchell Alan Karlin of [[Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher]].<ref name="lawsuit"/>

==Visa denial for homosexuality==
In 2013, while serving as the joint secretary of the passport and visa division, Malhotra denied a visa for a US diplomatic spouse on the basis of homosexuality. Another Indian diplomatic official quoted by the Indian Express said it had been common practice in the past to give visas to a gay couple as a family member.<ref name="IFS Visa denial 2013">{{cite web|title=IFS officer denies visa to spouse of gay American diplomat, moved out|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ifs-officer-denies-visa-to-spouse-of-gay-diplomat-is-moved-out/1201023/|publisher=[[The Indian Express]]|accessdate=20 January 2017}}</ref>

Malhotra was transferred by the MEA to the archives and record management division.<ref name="IFS Visa denial 2013"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgFfhMysMeE&ab_channel=sachikalam Visit to a gurdwara in Rome] - Heckling by members of gurdwara

{{DEFAULTSORT:Malhotra, Neena}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian diplomats]]
[[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]
[[Category:Indian women ambassadors]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to Italy]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Neena Malhotra - Revision history

imported>BostonMensa: removed Category:Women ambassadors using HotCat