Police have been called in to investigate the alleged beating and deportation of Indian factory worker Nasser Khan from Bahrain.

Our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN) reported yesterday that hundreds of employees at M R S Fashions had gone on strike, outraged by the treatment of their colleague.

It has now emerged that around 1,400 workers have downed tools and threatened to continue the strike until he is reinstated.

Some of them reported the alleged attack to police in Isa Town on Tuesday night after first notifying the Indian Embassy, which is also investigating the incident.

'He (Khan) was not allowed to meet anyone in the camp (before being deported),' said one worker, who asked to remain anonymous.

'We called the embassy as this is abuse. What if they do the same to us in future?'

The worker claimed Khan was targeted because he did not get on with one of his superiors and alleged he was beaten into signing a resignation letter.

'When we went to the police station, the officer called our manager and questioned him about the problem,' he added.

'He told the officer that he and the company management are ready to co-operate with us, but we need to return to work.'

Indian Embassy second secretary N K Chaudhary and Indian Community Relief Fund chairman John Iype visited the workers at their accommodation, in Riffa, on Monday in an effort to resolve the dispute.

However, a company spokesman yesterday denied that Khan had been beaten, but said a security guard 'may have pushed him' to hurry him up as he was leaving.

'No beating was involved in this case,' he added.

'We didn't force the worker to leave Bahrain or resign, he left the company himself.'

The embassy was closed yesterday to mark India's Republic Day, but is expected to continue its investigations today.-TradeArabia News Service