Omitted arrest in previous visa applications

[illuminati444]

I hold an Indian passport and was involved in a road accident in India, for which I was arrested, presented in court and subsequently acquitted. Arrests in India are quite different from the US - it is quite procedural; there was no reading of rights or detention, and court proceedings were in a local language which I don't speak, read or understand. Since I wasn't aware of this arrest until recently, I had inadvertently omitted this information in 3 B1 US visa applications thereafter - 1 successful and 2 unsuccessful.

I am planning to apply for an L1 visa, and now that I know of my arrest, I would like to disclose it.
How would the US consulates treat this, and how would it affect my visa prospects?
Is there a procedure to clarify that the omission was not willful?

[Libra_14]

How would the US consulates treat this, and how would it affect my visa prospects?

Depends on when that arrest happened & when was your last visa issued. If the visa was issued after that incident, then probably US embassy isn't aware of that & no need to declare it now.

Was it a DUI arrest? If so, it is really a serious issue in USA.

Is there a procedure to clarify that the omission was not willful?

There is no way for you to prove that you really forgot that incident.

By declaring it now, you'll be falsifying your own application you submitted for B1 earlier, stating you were never arrested.