Wait gets longer for relatives of diamond traders in China

SURAT: Family members and relatives of the 12 diamond merchants freed by China are celebrating their homecoming after two years. However, the wait is getting longer for the near and dear ones of nine diamond merchants still serving additional jail term in China for the period ranging from one year to six years for smuggling diamonds worth 50 million Yuan ($ 7.3 million).
Thirteen diamond merchants of the 22 held on January 8, 2010 were freed by a Chinese court on December 7 and nine were given additional jail term ranging between one year and six years on being found guilty. One of the traders, who has been freed, is held up because of procedural problems and he will be heading for home in the next few months.
When the family members of the 12 diamond merchants were celebrating on Friday, the local court in south China's Shenzhen city ordered the transfer of eight diamond merchants serving additional jail term to the district jail in Shilong, located some 78-kilometre away from Shenzhen city. One diamond merchant serving six years jail term is being kept in Shenzhen jail as he is facing a legal appeal in the local court.
"We have heard a lot about Shilong jail where the inmates are released early depending on their good conduct in the jail. Now, we pray that our men are freed early so that we could celebrate their homecoming like them (members of the 12 diamond merchants)," said one of the relatives of Amit Soni, who is serving five years' term.
Some of the relatives and family members of the nine diamond merchants jailed in China had gone to Mumbai on Friday to meet the diamond merchants.
"We were there to feel the presence of our men. They (12 diamond merchants) were with my brother and other eight merchants for the last two years and I wanted to know how they were doing," a cousin of one of the nine diamond merchants jailed in China said.
The maximum punishment of six years in jail was awarded to a merchant Rajesh Kumar Jain. Two other detainees -- Soni Amitkumar and Bavishi Rajukumar Babubhai -- have been sentenced to five years in prison. The court had ordered three years' imprisonment for six other detainees. The period of one-year 11 months spent in detention before the judgment will be adjusted against their terms.