BEIJING/NEW DELHI: India on Monday lodged a strong protest with China over the harassment of an Indian diplomat who collapsed after being denied food and medicines despite his diabetic condition during negotiations to free two Indians in a court at the city of Yiwu near Shanghai. The ministry of external affairs summoned Chinese deputy ambassador Zhang Yue after learning about S Balachandran, posted at the Indian Consulate in Shanghai, being maltreated by traders and local officials at Yiwu, a city known for its large commodity market, on December 31. Last Saturday, Balachandran was closeted in prolonged negotiations with some Chinese traders and courts to free Shyamsundar Agarwal and Deepak Raheja, who said they were kidnapped and tortured after the Yemeni trading firm they worked for failed to pay dues allegedly amounting to millions of yuan.
The Indians claim to have been tortured by their captors who forced them to eat human excreta and drink urine after being held by Chinese traders livid at their dues not being settled. "Please save us. We are afraid of leaving the police station because we might be killed," Agarwal told TOI over telephone from the police post where he is being held along with Raheja. According to Indian officials, Balachandran was stuck for over six hours in a room and the Chinese denied him food or medicine. Balachandran, who is a diabetic, is believed to have repeatedly asked for food but was not given any. When he finally emerged from the room, he was confronted with scared Indian traders and angry Chinese. He collapsed, and was rushed to hospital. On January 1, Balachandran was moved to Shanghai and is currently reported to be out of danger. "We have been tortured for two weeks by traders. We have been beaten, made to do terrible things. Even the medical test done on court orders shows my mind has been affected by the torture," Raheja told.
The Indians claim to have been tortured by their captors who forced them to eat human excreta and drink urine after being held by Chinese traders livid at their dues not being settled. "Please save us. We are afraid of leaving the police station because we might be killed," Agarwal told TOI over telephone from the police post where he is being held along with Raheja. According to Indian officials, Balachandran was stuck for over six hours in a room and the Chinese denied him food or medicine. Balachandran, who is a diabetic, is believed to have repeatedly asked for food but was not given any. When he finally emerged from the room, he was confronted with scared Indian traders and angry Chinese. He collapsed, and was rushed to hospital. On January 1, Balachandran was moved to Shanghai and is currently reported to be out of danger. "We have been tortured for two weeks by traders. We have been beaten, made to do terrible things. Even the medical test done on court orders shows my mind has been affected by the torture," Raheja told.