Diplomat S Balachandran manhandled in China, New Delhi lodges protests
3 JAN, 2012, 03.27AM IST, ET BUREAU
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NEW DELHI: India on Monday summoned China's deputy chief of mission here to complain about a courtroom assault on an Indian diplomat in the Chinese city of Yiwu.
S Balachandran, posted at the Indian consulate in Shanghai, was injured after an assault by a group of Chinese traders in a court when he tried to secure the release of two Indians, who were held hostage by locals demanding payment of their dues.
The Indian diplomat fainted after being "manhandled" by the crowd trying to grab the two kidnapped Indians - Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agrawal - who clung to him just as he was leaving the court on December 31 night. Balachandran was rushed to hospital after he fainted.
Beijing's deputy chief of mission in New Delhi, Zhang Yue, was called to the Indian foreign ministry that night itself, a government official said.
This row comes a month after a spat between China and India over a speech by Tibet's spiritual leaderDalai Lama at an event in New Delhi. An upset Beijing had put off border talks.
In Beijing, Indian embassy spokesman Vinayak Chavan reportedly told a news agency that Balachandran was not badly hurt. "It was not that serious, but there was some manhandling," Chavan said.
The two Indians had been held hostage by the local traders for two weeks for non-payment of dues by their company, whose owner had allegedly fled the country. Balachandran, 46, tried to negotiate for their release for over five hours at a court in Yiwu, a big trading centre for a host of commodities.
He was assaulted when the two Indians, being held captive for over fortnight, clung on to him to leave the surcharged place. The incident took place in the court and in the presence of police and the judge. A high drama ensued as the crowd prevented the two from going along with him demanding that they pay millions of Yuan owed to them for commodities purchased from them.
Relations between China and India have often been fraught, principally over disputed borders and the presence of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Indian soil.
Despite growing trade ties, both fast-developing countries remain suspicious of each other as they compete for resources and influence overseas.
Riva Ganguly Das, the Consul General of the Shanghai Consulate of India, said in Beijing that Balachandran, working as Consul at the Consulate, fainted when he was "manhandled" while attempting to get the release of Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agrawal.
Chinese officials were not available for comment.
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3 JAN, 2012, 03.27AM IST, ET BUREAU
================================================
NEW DELHI: India on Monday summoned China's deputy chief of mission here to complain about a courtroom assault on an Indian diplomat in the Chinese city of Yiwu.
S Balachandran, posted at the Indian consulate in Shanghai, was injured after an assault by a group of Chinese traders in a court when he tried to secure the release of two Indians, who were held hostage by locals demanding payment of their dues.
The Indian diplomat fainted after being "manhandled" by the crowd trying to grab the two kidnapped Indians - Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agrawal - who clung to him just as he was leaving the court on December 31 night. Balachandran was rushed to hospital after he fainted.
Beijing's deputy chief of mission in New Delhi, Zhang Yue, was called to the Indian foreign ministry that night itself, a government official said.
This row comes a month after a spat between China and India over a speech by Tibet's spiritual leaderDalai Lama at an event in New Delhi. An upset Beijing had put off border talks.
In Beijing, Indian embassy spokesman Vinayak Chavan reportedly told a news agency that Balachandran was not badly hurt. "It was not that serious, but there was some manhandling," Chavan said.
The two Indians had been held hostage by the local traders for two weeks for non-payment of dues by their company, whose owner had allegedly fled the country. Balachandran, 46, tried to negotiate for their release for over five hours at a court in Yiwu, a big trading centre for a host of commodities.
He was assaulted when the two Indians, being held captive for over fortnight, clung on to him to leave the surcharged place. The incident took place in the court and in the presence of police and the judge. A high drama ensued as the crowd prevented the two from going along with him demanding that they pay millions of Yuan owed to them for commodities purchased from them.
Relations between China and India have often been fraught, principally over disputed borders and the presence of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on Indian soil.
Despite growing trade ties, both fast-developing countries remain suspicious of each other as they compete for resources and influence overseas.
Riva Ganguly Das, the Consul General of the Shanghai Consulate of India, said in Beijing that Balachandran, working as Consul at the Consulate, fainted when he was "manhandled" while attempting to get the release of Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agrawal.
Chinese officials were not available for comment.
RELATED ARTICLES
India complains to Beijing over treatment of diplomat
India summons Chinese envoy over diplomat assault
Indian traders should be treated as per law: External Affairs Minister S M Krishna
Indian diplomat manhandled in China; New Delhi lodges protest
Bidve's murder case: Fifth arrest made by British Police
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