India on Monday lodged a strong protest with Malaysia over the 'high-handed and inhuman' treatment meted out to about 270 Indians, mostly IT professionals, by the Malaysian police in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
Several victims complained that the cops had also defaced their passports and visa stamps.
Special Secretary (east) R M Abhyankar summoned Malaysian High Commissioner Choo Siew Kioh to the external affairs ministry and conveyed New Delhi's bitterness over the manner in which Malaysian authorities had treated the Indian nationals.
"Such unacceptable action by authorities cannot but adversely affect our bilateral relations and also badly dent Malaysia's image as a destination for IT professionals and as a country keen to encourage foreign participation in its development," MEA spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters in Delhi.
The MEA would decide on the next course of action 'depending on the clarification we receive', he said adding the MEA is awaiting details about the provocation for such action.
Recounting the events of Sunday, he said at about 0700 hours (Malaysian time), police rounded up about 270 Indian nationals and took 160-odd to the police station where they were subjected to some 'rough treatment'.
On getting this information, the Indian high commission in Kuala Lumpur quickly swung into action and took up the issue with the Malaysian authorities.
By 1900 hours, except for eight or nine Indians, all the others had been released, Sarna said adding their papers were being checked.
The Malaysian police had initially denied consular access to those taken into custody.
Indian High Commissioner in Malaysia Veena Sikri said around 14 of the men were photographed with assigned numbers and their finger prints taken. They were told to sign on a police report, which was in the Malay language, and sent to jail, she added quoting from written complaints made by the victims.
About 10 to 12 people are still in custody and 'our officials are finding out details about their cases', she said. "Almost all those rounded up had valid visas and passports. We now have all the details, their names, passport numbers and what happened when they were in police station."
"We have received written complaints from our nationals and these have been taken up with the Malaysian government, including the home ministry, the external affairs ministry, and the immigration department," Sikri told PTI.
Sikri, who has lodged a protest with the Malaysian government against the police action, said "There is no justification for the way our citizens were treated by the police."
"They were kept at the police station for about 8-10 hours without any explanation. Our main concern is to find out why the Indians were treated this way."
Sikri has assured the Indians that the "matter has been taken to the highest authority and we will get to the bottom of the issue."
"We have full faith in the Malaysian political system and judiciary and want the matter investigated."
