Indian visa row diplomat Devyani Khobragade leaves US .

An Indian diplomat whose arrest in the US has sparked a diplomatic row has left for India, officials say. Devyani Khobragade was ordered to leave the US on Thursday after she was indicted on criminal charges and India refused to waive her immunity.Ms Khobragade was arrested in New York last month on charges of visa fraud and of underpaying her housekeeper.She was handcuffed and strip-searched, and India demanded an apology for her "humiliation".Ms Khobragade has always denied any wrongdoing.

A senior US official said Ms Khobragade had departed from New York's John F Kennedy International Airport on Thursday night, heading for India.Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said: "At the time of her departure to India, Counsellor Khobragade reiterated her innocence of charges filed against her."She affirmed her gratitude to the government of India, in particular to the external affairs minister, and the people of India, as also the media, for their strong and sustained support during this period."

The dispute over the case has affected US-India relations