Detained Indians being taken to Shanghai

BEIJING: The two Indians, who were held hostage in China for over 15 days and tortured, are being being taken to Shanghai from the trading hub of Yiwu city escorted by diplomats from the Indian officials.

Shyamsunder Agrewal and Deepak Raheja, who were shifted to a hotel in Yiwu for "safety" reasons by the police, are now been moved after fears of their security still lingered.

Earlier speaking to PTI, Raheja said over phone that they still apprehend trouble as a large crowd of locals had surrounded their hotel.

Raheja had also threatened to commit suicide if the Indian government did not intervene and have him shifted to Shanghai in the next 24 hours.

China has initiated criminal proceedings against five locals suspected for the torture of the two Indians and promised to address the issue besides giving due attention to the safety of Indian nationals on its soil.

The assurance was given by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yan in New Delhi when he met Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the External Affairs Ministry, this afternoon.

The envoy said "serious attention" was being given to the issue related to the two businessmen and hoped that it would be resolved as quickly as possible, sources said.

The Ambassador also assured the MEA that due attention was being given to the safety of Indian nationals and businessmen, they said.