India will assist diamond merchants detained by China: Krishna

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said on Wednesday that the Centre would provide assistance to the 21 diamond merchants detained by China, within the existing legal framework

Chinese authorities detained 21 Indians last week on charges of diamond smuggling in the Shenzhen city of the Guangdong region.

Krishna also cautioned against indulging in any speculation.

"Well you know whatever we say it could be speculative. Let us not indulge in that game of speculation," said Krishna. "Well there is a legal framework within which we have to help these 21 merchants," he added.

SM Krishna further said the Indian officials have been given consular access to meet the detained people.

"Consular access has been obtained and our consular cadres have been able to meet some of them individually and I think the process is on," he added.

The arrests by Beijing has come in the wake of three Chinese engineers detained by India in Chhattisgarh in connection with a chimney crash at the BALCO (Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd) plant in Korba, where around 41 were workers were killed in September last year.