India has sought Consular access to the Indian tourist detained in China on charges of terrorism. Sources said the moment Indian Embassy received a formal note verbale from Entry and Exit Bureau of Inner Mongolia Government, officials got active and sought details of the arrested man and Consular access. An official from the embassy will be meeting the detained Indian as soon as the access is granted.
Indian embassy was told that the Indian citizen was detained under Article 120 of Criminal law of People’s Republic of China. He is currently lodged in the detention centre of Ordos in Dongsheng district of Inner Mongolia. He was arrested on July 13, and placed under three day detention which ended on Wednesday, which is now extended till July 18.
The Ministry of Public Security of China also conveyed to the Indian Embassy that it is still in the process of collecting details from the provincial authorities and would update it once they receive the same.
Article 120 of Chinese criminal law relates to organising, leading or participating in terrorist organisation with a minimum punishment for three years.
The Indian was part of a group of 20 foreign tourists which was on a 47-day tourism trip to Inner Mongolia. Chinese authorities claimed some of the members of the group were found watching propaganda videos from a banned group in their hotel room following which they were arrested from Ordos airport on suspicion that some had ties to a “terror group”. Apart from the Indian the group had Britons and South Africans.
While after preliminary inquiry, China has agreed to release 11 of the tourists but rest will stay in detention for the time being out of which are three Britons, five South Africans and the Indian.