Asians wanting to go to U.K. seized

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33261, 26 June 1973, Page 15

Asians wanting to go to U.K. seized

N Z.P .4 •Re-jrer—Coppnpl;! ■

NEW DELHI. June 25.

Charges are likely to be brought against 107 East African Asians who were forcibly removed by police from a Pan American Boeing 747 last night after they had held a 17-hour sit-in, demanding to be taken to Britain.

It is not clear what the charges will be. but it is thought that they will be accused of trespass.

When the deadline of an ultimatum ordering the Asians to disembark or face eviction had passed about 200 policemen marched on to the tarmac at Palam International Airport and headed towards the aircraft, followed by police and airline vans. A local magistrate and an airport official went ahead of the police in a last attempt to persuade the East African Asians to surrender.

They emerged without success. Airport workers then opened the rear door of the aircraft and the police swarmed aboard and pulled out the Asians. Many struggled and shouted as they

were forced aboard buses to be taken to the internaiiona! arrivals lounge.

One of the Asians, who during the day had acted as one of the group’s two I spokesmen, shouted at reporters as he was hustled by police through the customs hall: “We have been doublecrossed, they promised to respect our rights. They cannot force us to land on Indian soil. We are British.” The Asians, who all claim to be British citizens, were ;aboard the aircraft when it landed at Palam Airport before dawn yesterday. They had boarded the flight at Thailand, with tickets for Delhi. When the aircraft landed at Delhi they refused to disembark and insisted on being flown to London.

A spokesman for the Asians Isaid that they had earlier left India for Bangkok with return tickets for New Delhi. They had been told by their travel agents not to disembark when they returned to Delhi because under the law the Indian authorities could I not force them to leave the plane if they held foreign passports. It has become increasingly difficult for Asians holding British passports to get bookings on flights from India to Britain unless they are able to prove that they hold entry visas.

An Indian police official said: “We cannot in law force an unwilling foreigner to disembark against his wishes.”

But there was a clear difference between the 107 and other Asians who have been sent back from Britain. The latter held no ticket* for * journey to Delhi. The destini tion of the tickets of the 107 was quite clearly Delhi.