With just 10 days left for his “parole” to end, Mr Deepak Raheja is making a final attempt to seek the Centre’s intervention to get him and his colleague Shyamsundar Agarwal freed from the clutches of traders in China. Mr Raheja had been allowed by the Chinese authorities to come to India for a month to perform the last rites of his father, who had expired in July. His colleague Shyamsundar Agarwal is still in China with his travel permits withdrawn.
On Friday Raheja will leave for New Delhi to meet the Union Minister for External Affairs and seek the Centre’s intervention in the matter. Mr Agarwal’s brother will also join him in New Delhi. “I am leaving for Delhi on Friday morning and Shyamsundar’s brother Pawan Agarwal will also join me there. This is my last chance; I will come back only if the Center does something concrete regarding our problems. We had met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in Beijing when he had visited China but other than making promises, the ministry has done nothing so far,” Mr Raheja said, adding dejectedly, “If nothing happens in Delhi, I will end my life in front of the ministry.” He has also met officials of the Andhra Pradesh state NRI cell.