On December 7, a court in Shenzhen, China, will deliver a judgment in the case of 22 Indians who were charged with smuggling of diamonds.
In January 2010, 22 men, hailing from Gujarat, were arrested by Shenzhen custom officials for smuggling diamonds from Hong Kong to China. The customs department had videographed the movement of the accused and how they smuggled and sold diamonds.
The relatives of the arrested Indians have been told that the judgment that would be delivered on Wednesday is already reviewed and weighted by China's highest court.
The issue had been complex and sensitive because initially, the diamond merchants were not aware of the exact charges slapped on them. Also, those who are arrested and languishing in Chinese jails are mostly junior staffers of rich diamond merchants from Mumbai. Only two out of 22 arrested are owners of the diamond trading firms accused of smuggling, while the other 20 are middle-class or poor staffers employed by these firms.
The jail term has been nightmarish for these Indian because most of them are Jain Gujaratis who do not eat meat and even potatoes, onions or garlic. However, vegetarian food has been provided to these merchants.
The relatives and employers have kept away
from the media because of the fear of overexposure. What has added to their woes is the lack of knowledge of China's legal system.
During his visit to China in November, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had taken up the case with the Chinese leadership. While speaking about his talks with Chinese authorities Modi said, "I was not expecting a promise. You cannot get results in one meeting. But I am sure they have understood our feelings on the subject."
Modi, on his visit to China, had treaded carefully because on one hand he wants Chinese investment in Gujarat while on other hand there was pressure on him to take up the case of the jailed Gujarati men. At the time of the arrest in 2010, China had made it clear that they want Indian businessmen to respect the law of their land, as India would expect Chinese businessmen to abide by Indian laws.
Chinese investment in India has seen a rise over the last few years. It is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015. Maheswar Sahu, principal secretary, industries and mines, Gujarat, said, "We target to attract at least 10 per cent of these investments."
Modi has invited the Chinese business community and public enterprises to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013.