Indian citizen held by China for ‘terror links’ released, deported

China late on Friday deported the lone Indian arrested on unspecified charges in Inner Mongolia, bringing to an end 72 hours of hard negotiations between Indian diplomats and local officials who caught him with 19 other foreigners for allegedly watching banned videos.

The fate of the remaining three South African citizens remains unknown.

RK Kulshreshta was put up on a late flight on Friday night with Indian officials escorting from the city of Ordos in Inner Mongolia in northern China.

The charges against 46-year-old Kulshrehta, a garment businessman, remain unspecified.

“We are still trying to find out what the charges are against him,” an Indian official claimed.

The focus was to get him released, officials said.

The Indian embassy here released a statement announcing the decision by the Chinese government.

“The Indian national who was detained in Inner Mongolia was brought to Beijing last evening and was allowed to leave for India by a flight in early hours of this morning, the statement said.

It added: “The Embassy of India was in close touch with the concerned authorities in Beijing and Inner Mongolia, and facilitated the release and repatriation of the Indian national. Counsellor (Consular) and other Embassy officials were also given consular access to him. Embassy officials were at the airport at the time of departure.”

On Friday evening, China had released five Britons including two who had dual South African citizenship.

“The Chinese authorities have said that the remaining three British nationals and the two dual nationals detained in Ordos will be deported shortly,” the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement.