Man sues over 'fake' BNO fiasco in India

A Hong Kong merchant is suing the British government after spending six weeks in an Indian jail because consular officials wrongly claimed his passport was fake.

In a High Court writ filed in Hong Kong yesterday, Ng Yuk-wah, 47, is seeking damages of more than $600,000 from the British Foreign Secretary to compensate for mental and physical suffering as well as $23,900 in expenses.

The writ said Mr Ng's ordeal began on August 21, 1999, when he travelled to India for a holiday before embarking on a business trip to Britain. However, Indian immigration officers at Mumbai airport suspected his British National (Overseas) passport was false and contacted the British Deputy High Commissioner for verification.

The British officials said Mr Ng's passport was false and bore a substituted photograph, leading to his detention by Indian authorities. According to the writ, he used his one permitted phone call to contact the local British consulate - which failed to return the call.

The document claims he was assaulted by some of the other 100 inmates in his shared cell and was denied medication after falling ill.

Mr Ng was released after intervention by the Chinese embassy, which was notified by Mr Ng's family who were alerted when two Indian lawyers asked for $200,000 from his Hong Kong employer in exchange for help.