India's foreign ministry complained to Beijing at a high level on Monday, saying a diplomat was denied medicine to control severe diabetes and collapsed while offering consular assistance to two Indian citizens on trial in China's Yiwu city.

The diplomat, S. Balachandran from the consulate in Shanghai, was not allowed to leave the courtroom to treat his diabetes during a hearing that lasted for five hours. He then collapsed and was taken to a hospital for treatment, said an Indian government source who declined to be named.

Strong protest

"We have taken it up pretty strongly with the Chinese, that this is no way to treat a diplomat, that he should be allowed access to medication," the source said. But the source denied Indian media reports that the diplomat had been attacked by an angry crowd for defending the two businessmen on trial.

In New Delhi, China's diplomatic mission will be called to India's foreign ministry, the source said, while the consul general in Shanghai spoke with the government of Zhejiang province, where Yiwu is located.

Yiwu is a small city known for manufacturing and a commodities wholesale market that attracts traders from across Asia.

The Press Trust of India reported that Balachandran was rushed to hospital when he fainted after being 'manhandled' by the crowd that tried to snatch two kidnapped Indians who clung to him.

Conflicting report

According to the report, the incident happened when he was leaving the court after prolonged negotiations on the night of December 31. The two Indians had been held hostage by the local traders for two weeks for non-payment of dues by their company, whose owner had allegedly fled the country.

Riva Ganguly Das, the Consul General of the Shanghai Consulate of India told PTI that Balachandran, working as Consul at the Consulate fainted when he was 'manhandled', while attempting to get the release of Deepak Raheja and Shyamsunder Agrawal.

Balachandran, 46, tried to negotiate for their release for over five hours at a court in Yiwu, a big trading centre for a host of commodities. He was assaulted when the two Indians, being held captive for over fortnight clung on to him to leave the surcharged place.

The incident took place in the court and in the presence of police and the judge. The report claims, a high drama ensued as the crowd prevented the two from going along with him demanding that they pay millions of Yuan owed to them for commodities purchased from them.

They later pounced on them and snatched the two from Balachandran, who in the process suffered injuries especially to his knee. A diabetes patient, Balanchandran fainted after the assault. Balachandran was rushed to the local hospital in an ambulance in a semi-conscious state by local officials and some Indian traders based in Yiwu.

Local officials reportedly apologised to Balachandran after the incident. Though the court said Deepak and Shayamsundar were free to go, they remained in police custody fearing attack by the crowd.

They too suffered injuries in the incident.

"Balachandran was admitted to a hospital in Shanghai on sunday where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries. His condition was better and he is currently undergoing various tests, Das said."

The two Indians are lodged at a police station and the Consulate has appointed a lawyer to secure their release. The two were held as captive after the owner of their company, Euro Global Trading, fled without paying the dues of local suppliers.