In India, arrests of three China ‘spies’ raise concerns, questions
- Lawyers and the Press Club of India have questioned the case against Rajeev Sharma and two others arrested for espionage by the ‘Special Cell’ of New Delhi police
- The trio were arrested amid deteriorating relations between China and India over border tensions and technology
Chinese national Qing Shi and Nepali national Sher Singh were arrested a day later. Police accused all three of being on the payroll of Chinese intelligence agencies and charged them under India’s Official Secrets Act, according to Indian media reports.
Sharma’s lawyer Adish Aggarwala said he attended Sunday’s court hearing by video conferencing and opposed the extension of custody as his client was in poor health. He said he would seek bail for Sharma on Monday.
“He has had two operations before, and is an elderly citizen. This puts him in danger of catching the coronavirus if he is detained for longer,” Aggarwala said. “We have a good chance of getting bail as there is nothing against my client that police have.”
Raveesh Singh, the lawyer for Qing and Singh, said he was not allowed to attend the proceedings and police had insisted his clients wanted a state-appointed lawyer.
