Day after mid-day's report, Ambassador Archil Dzuliashvili apologises to Bandra ad executive for 32-hr nightmare in Georgia and promises to personally find out why she was harassed
Archil Dzuliashvili and Khushbu Kaushal
A day after Bandra resident Khushbu Kaushal's horrifying ordeal at the Tbilisi airport of Georgia - where the 32-year-old was sent packing from the immigration counter on June 29 without any explanation — was reported in mid-day, Georgian Ambassador to India Archil Dzuliashvili has offered his help.
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But, the Indian government has not even taken cognisance of their national being kicked out unceremoniously.
The 32-year-old advertising professional had embarked on a solo trip to Georgia, but after the officers at the Tbilisi airport turned her away, setting off 32 hours of excruciating back and forth without food and water, she reached out to the ministry of external affairs and the Indian ambassador to UAE, Navdeep Singh Puri, but got nowhere. She ultimately had to cancel all her pre-booked travel and hotel bookings, at great personal expense.
Also read - Mumbai: Bandra woman in 32-hour nightmare at Georgia airport
A screenshot of the ticket that Khushbu Kaushal (left) had used to fly to Tbilisi
Georgia steps up
Instead, it is the Georgian ambassador who has taken up the matter, forwarded it for explanation to the Georgian ministry of foreign affairs, and assured her that action will be taken.
"The ambassador apologised about the incident. He said that they are looking into the matter. However, I have a few queries. Why didn't immigration allow me inside Georgia? What steps will be taken against the officers who misbehaved? I had to cancel all bookings for the trip, how will they compensate me? It is hard-earned money that I lost because of no fault of mine."
Speaking to mid-day, Dzuliashvili said, "This doesn't fall under my preview, so the issue has been sent to the ministry of foreign affairs for investigation. We are looking into the matter, but I don't know why the immigration department didn't allow her in. What we know is that she flew to Georgia with an e-visa that was not issued by us (the embassy). I can't say anything more than this on it as of now."
Where's Sushma?
Meanwhile, upset that MEA still hasn't come to her aid, Kaushal said, "First of all, I am an Indian citizen, who was humiliated and was left stranded. Doesn't it become the responsibility of our government to intervene in the matter? How can they be so careless when people from abroad are trying to give me justice?"
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