NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Diplomat jetting off after alleged assault

John Weekes
By John Weekes, Audrey Young
Senior Business Reporter·NZ Herald·
27 Jun, 2015 04:50 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

India's High Commission to New Zealand Ravi Thapar with his wife Sharmila Thapar. Photo / Facebook

India's High Commission to New Zealand Ravi Thapar with his wife Sharmila Thapar. Photo / Facebook

Exclusive: Police investigate incident between chef and Indian diplomat’s wife.

The High Commissioner for India, Ravi Thapar, has denied he is leaving New Zealand as a result of allegations his wife assaulted a member of his domestic staff.

At his home in Lower Hutt today, Mr Thapar told NZME. he was going back to India to take care of his mother.

"I'm going but to take care of my mum because my dad passed away last year. I can't keep up 13,000km away just talking to her on the phone," he said.

It is alleged a staff member, thought to be a chef, was found by a member of the public in a distressed state in Wellington after walking from the residence in Lower Hutt to the city.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The person who picked him up took him to the Wellington police station out of concern for his welfare. Victim Support became involved and he was taken to the Wellington Night Shelter where he stayed for a few nights.

Mr Thapar denied the allegations, saying his wife was an "experienced diplomatic spouse" incapable of assaulting an "able-bodied man".

"The guy had absolute freedom to walk away and to do whatever ... we trusted him," he said.

Thapar alleged the man wanted to "concoct" a story but didn't succeed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said the Indian government was duty-bound to take care of the man, who worked in the house's kitchen.

"You must understand that people who are not exposed, people who are not educated, people who are sometimes first-timers abroad, who have heard of these ... will use this opportunity sometimes to get sympathy from other agencies," he said.

Mr Thapar said "within minutes" of the man leaving the house, he alerted both local police and his bosses in Delhi, and also provided the man's passport details.

"He had his jacket ... but no spares, which means he was in touch with external collaborators, he said.

Discover more

Opinion

Political roundup: Redemption or death for Colin Craig's Conservatives?

24 Jun 02:54 AM
Opinion

Political roundup: NZ's military future

26 Jun 03:53 AM
Opinion

Fran O'Sullivan: Has Auckland cooked its goose?

26 Jun 05:00 PM
Editorial

Editorial: Craig leaves NZ public little wiser

26 Jun 05:00 PM

Mr Thapar said he had "very happy memories" of life in New Zealand.

Although he said he'd like to return, he didn't think he would any time soon.

Mr Thapar said some of his "diplomatic colleagues" implored him and his wife to stay in the country.

"My wife is very popular."

He declined to have his picture taken at his home.

He gave no indication of any upcoming job offers in India, saying he will "be home" after flying out next week. He referred to his home, which he said was in Delhi, as his "headquarters" where he'd spend time with his mum and relatives.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Weekend Herald reported that the man spoke to the police through an interpreter on May 9.

The man alleged he was physically assaulted by Mrs Thapar at the residence where he worked and lived, and threatened with assault by Mr Thapar. But he would not make a formal complaint and wanted to return to India.

The police sought the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade which alerted India's Ministry of External Affairs.

An official from the Indian ministry came to New Zealand to help sort out the situation, including retrieving the chef's passport and belongings from the residence.

The staff member left New Zealand on May 28.

The police wanted to speak with Mr Thapar but he would not agree to an interview or allow any other member of the mission to be approached.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Because no one has been arrested or charged, there has been no question of invoking diplomatic immunity.

Mr Thapar began his posting in December 2013. It is thought he has not been formally recalled but he will be leaving his post soon, much earlier than would normally be the case.

The police last night did not say who in the High Commission had made a complaint against whom but confirmed officers had recently undertaken an investigation into allegations of assault on a member of staff at the High Commission of India.

The police said they spoke to the alleged victim on May 9 and confirmed he did not want to take the matter further and wanted to go home.

"He was provided with legal advice and appropriate welfare support, while police sought assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to facilitate the matter."

The police said that a check on the man's welfare in India confirmed that he was fine and happy to be home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The treatment of domestic staff by Indian diplomats is a highly sensitive issue with India - it caused a rift recently between India and the United States.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully referred all inquiries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

A spokesman said the ministry was aware that the High Commissioner for India was departing.

The ministry was also aware that a staff member raised with the New Zealand police concerns about his treatment in the High Commission.

It had been advised that the individual concerned elected not to take the matter further.
That staff member had independent legal representation and decided to return to India, according to the ministry.

The office of Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson was approached by the Night Shelter to give assistance and his office helped the chef to find support in the local Indian community.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They were concerned about this guy who was staying there."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
New Zealand

'Overly aggressive' letter from Napier mayoral candidate upsets national motor caravan body

18 Jun 06:08 PM
New Zealand

Belle of the ball: Shop owner gives away formal dresses and suits to high schoolers

18 Jun 06:00 PM
Opinion

How Act's bill could entrench power for the wealthy

18 Jun 06:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
'Overly aggressive' letter from Napier mayoral candidate upsets national motor caravan body

'Overly aggressive' letter from Napier mayoral candidate upsets national motor caravan body

18 Jun 06:08 PM

The board removed Nigel Simpson as Hawke's Bay chair just one month into the role.

Belle of the ball: Shop owner gives away formal dresses and suits to high schoolers

Belle of the ball: Shop owner gives away formal dresses and suits to high schoolers

18 Jun 06:00 PM
How Act's bill could entrench power for the wealthy

How Act's bill could entrench power for the wealthy

18 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Publican on rugby, running 'tough' bars, and the night he sold 85 kegs of Guinness

Publican on rugby, running 'tough' bars, and the night he sold 85 kegs of Guinness

18 Jun 06:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP