The Chandigarh Police arrested the trio on December 1. While Samuel Allen was booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Tobias Nenning and Alexander Lawson were apprehended under the Arms Act.

Currently in judicial custody, the Englishmen asserted that the police not only took Rs 9,000 from them, but also detained them without either informing the British High Commission in Delhi, or any relative or person concerned. Samuel Allen also claimed to have been "roughed up" by the cops.

The police have denied the allegations. Senior Superintendent of Police C.S.R. Reddy asserted, "let the accused complain. We will look into the allegations and if true, action would be taken against those found guilty." The money, he said, was with the officials at the police station as case property.

"We withdrew Rs 17,000 from a bank and took a taxi to go to Ambala. A cop who was already sitting in the cab started searching our baggage.

Subsequently he took us to the Police Station opposite the District Courts," said Alexander Lawson.

Lawson added, "the police did not inform us regarding our arrest or our rights. We kept on asking for an advocate but no one at the police station understood English. This is not all. The receipt for the articles taken into possession at the time of our arrest mentions only Rs 8,000. Many other things have also not been referred to in the search memo."

They also claimed that the police did not inform them regarding their right to get searched by a gazetted officer. "We were searched several times, but not by any senior police officer. Neither was any formal medical checkup carried out," said Samuel Allen. "We were taken to a hospital and asked to show our arms and shins."

He also alleged that he was thrashed by the cops after he protested a Chandigarh Police constable's attempt to misbehave. "My front tooth has become loose due to the beating."

British First Secretary (Consular) John Greengrass, who reached Chandigarh today after being informed of the arrest by a social organisation stated, "this is no way to treat foreigners travelling in the City. We'll take up the matter with senior police officers."