Indian police refuse to release Thai fishermen

A joint Indo-Thai fishing company has accused police in the Indian state of West Bengal of refusing to obey a court order for the release of seventy-one Thai fishermen they are holding.

The fishermen were arrested on a river island south of Calcutta last June, on suspicion of smuggling weapons.

They deny the charges and say they were sheltering from a storm in the Bay of Bengal.

Last month, a court in Calcutta ordered police to free the fishermen immediately, The fishing company says that despite its approaches, the police say they have not received the court order.

The company has also accused the Indian police of torturing the fishermen - a charge the authorities deny.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service