Indian held in China for terror links deported

Rajiv Mohan Kulshrestha was taken into custody for allegedly watching videos of a banned terror group in his hotel room

A 46-year-old Indian, who was held in China for alleged terror links, was released and deported today, even as India sought details from China about the circumstances leading to his over week-long detention that raised questions about the way the case was handled.

Rajiv Mohan Kulshrestha, a businessman from Delhi, was taken into custody at Ordos in China's Inner Mongolia province on July 10 for allegedly watching videos of a banned terror group in his hotel room.

He was brought to Beijing by road from Ordos, about 920 km from here, last night and deported to India in the wee hours today.

Indian officials were given consular access to Kulshrestha before his release.

Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha said while the focus during the last few days was on getting Kulshrestha released, Indian Embassy has sought details from China about circumstances under which he was detained.

"The immediate objective was to secure his release. We were in touch with Chinese officials in Beijing and Mongolia and sought details about his detention. This dialogue will continue," he told PTI here.

Kulshrestha travelled to China as tourist along with 19 other foreigners from Gift of the Givers, a South African charity.

All the 20 members of the group, which also include Britons and South Africans, were released by Chinese police in batches and deported.

While the Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier said Kulshrestha was detained for criminal activities, the case became more intriguing after a local Chinese official in Inner Mongolia told the media that they were also trying to propagate terrorism.

Some reports from South Africa said the 20 tourists were detained after watching a documentary on Genghis Khan, the 13th-century Mongolian warrior, which was mistaken for a terror-related video. The group reportedly had also visited the Genghis Khan Mausoleum the day before they were held.

China had earlier released 11 British and South African nationals, but Kulshrestha was kept in custody along with eight others.

Gift of the Givers foundation had said that "no charges have been put to the group but the Chinese have been very vague saying that someone in the group has some links to a suspected terror group and that someone has some links to a banned group and that the real reason for the incarceration is that someone was watching propaganda videos in the hotel."

China was on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks carried by Xinjiang-based separatist outfit East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM).