At last, the Chinese authorities intervened and ensured the release of the two Indian employees illegally holed up and held hostage by the local traders in the business city of Yiwu in the province of Zhejiang this evening.

Reports said that the two harassed and tortured Indians were escorted to the Shanghai city by the Indian Embassy officials and with heavy Chinese police escort.

The two Indians, Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agarwal, were forcibly taken away and held hostage by the thugs engaged by the local traders two weeks ago following the running away of their Pakistani employer without paying the trading dues of nearly one million US dollars to the traders.

“Unless you pay the dues, we will not leave you,” the thugs threatened the Indians who were also beaten in the forced detention.

While Deepak Raheja is from Hyderabad, Syamsunder Agarwal is from Mumbai.

On Dec 30, Indian diplomat Mr Balachandran, who went to procure their release from the illegal custody of the traders and thugs, was seriously assaulted in the police presence and he was taken to the hospital by the Indian traders in semi-conscious state. He is still recovering in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in Beijing the local police have identified five persons who were involved in the illegal detention of the two Indians and would initiate action against them.

Their release follows the high level intervention from the Government of India and the efforts of the External Affairs Minister Mr SM Krishna. (JUBS)