Guwahati, June 4: Three Russians arrested on May 28 have been admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after they went on a hunger strike in Central Jail here.

Sources said they refused to take food soon after they were remanded in judicial custody on Sunday by the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup.

"The three Russians are being provided care in our medicine unit and their condition is stable. They were admitted here on Sunday night,” GMCH superintendent Ramen Talukdar said. On whether they will be forced-fed, Talukdar said the administration would decide that based on their heath condition.

The Russians — Denis Rozkov, 43, Alexei Muratov, 35 and Andrei Kilin, 45 — were arrested along with three others from a hotel here, based on a complaint by a resident, Kunal Kishore Singh, that the foreigners were collecting deposits online and duping people. The Russians were in the city on tourist visas. The three other persons arrested are Dinesh Kotian, 44, and Rinish Balan, 40, of Mumbai and Nabajit Das of Lanka in Assam’s Nagaon district.

The police here booked the six under Section 45 of Prize Chit and Money Circulation Scheme (Banning) Act, 1978, and Sections 120 B, 406 and 420 IPC. They were sent to jail after their five-day police remand ended on Sunday.

Jail officials said the Russians went on hunger strike complaining that they were arrested on false charges. "We have informed the office of inspector-general of prisons, Kamrup chief judicial magistrate and Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner about the hunger strike,” a source said.

The police, however, said they received important evidence to prove that the six, including three Russians were illegally collecting money through a website www.mmmindia.in and duping the depositors. "We will soon file the chargesheets,” a police officer said.

link to news http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130605/jsp/northeast/story_16971465.jsp#.Ua72_9L0F8E