India has expelled three journalists of Chinese state news agency Xinhua for reportedly overstaying their visa. A senior government official told The Hindu that Xinhua's Delhi bureau head Wu Qiang and Mumbai head Lu Tang, along with Mumbai-based reporter She Yonggang, have been asked to leave the country by July 31.

The official said, "The three journalists had overstayed their visa, and subsequently, they had received several visa extensions. So we asked them to return as it is no longer possible to give them visa extensions."

However, according to a Times of India report, the three scribes were expelled from India after intelligence agencies raised concerns that they were impersonating people and visiting restricted places. An official from the Ministry of External Affairs told The Hindu that the journalists meeting Tibetan activists at an event in Bangalore was not well received, though the exact reason for denial of visa renewal has not certain.

The journalists were reportedly experts on India-related matters, with Wu having worked for Xinhua in India for several years. He said they were not given any explanation for why their visas were not renewed. They got their latest visa extension last week and informed that they will not be extended anymore, the veteran scribe added.