The US, on the contrary, has turned down India's suggestion for waiving off the charges of visas fraud and underpayment to maid levelled against the Indian diplomat.

The Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid speaking at the 86th AGM of FICCI, here on Saturday said that under the directions of the Supreme Court the practice of handcuffing an accused have been done away with as it lowers the dignity of the person concerned. Such a law is not prevalent in US he said.

The Minister said that India was for settling the issue in the sprit of partnership and cooperation, but the 'diplomatic channels have been interrupted.'

'..I speak to America through diplomatic channels and my diplomatic channels have been interrupted. That is my concern. That was my agony that my diplomatic channel has been interrupted,' Khurshid said.

He however said : 'We are in a conversation at different levels. Let the conversation go to its logical conclusion.'

He described the US as a valuable partner and asked it to 'understand the value' of the partnership. From a 'sanction inflicted country, India has risen to be a partner with US in nuclear cooperation' and US must understand this he said.

India and the US have come a long way and the US is India's strategic partner. Hence, India has the right to communicate its stance and also expects a response from the US.

'We have an extremely exceptionally valuable relationship with the US and I do believe that they have similar sentiments about us...And it must understand value of partnership,' Khurshid said.

39-year-old Khobragade, a 1999-batch IFS officer posted as Deputy Consul General in New York, was taken into custody last week on visa fraud charges as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.

Khobragade was put through both strip and cavity searches, procedures normally used for criminals, evoking a sharp reaction from India.