On January 27, law minister Kiren Rijiju informed that the China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has handed over the missing teenager from Arunachal Pradesh to the Indian Army.
Arunachal’s missing teen handed over to Indian Army:
He informed that the 17-year-old was handed over at Wacha-Damai interaction point in Arunachal Pradesh on January 27.
Abduction:
The 17-year-old was allegedly abducted from near the Line of Actual Control in the State’s Upper Siang district.
According to sources, Miram Taron, a resident of Zido village of Upper Siang district, was part of a group that had gone for hunting in the border area between the two countries when he was abducted by PLA.
MP Tapir Gao tweeted the matter:
Hereafter, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Arunachal-East, Tapir Gao, in a series of tweets said that the teenager was abducted from inside the Indian territory at Lungta Jor under Siyungla area (Bishing village) of Upper Siang district.
He informed that the news of his abduction was revealed by his friend who managed to escape from the PLA. Gao also claimed that China has built 3-4 kms of road in that area inside Indian territory in 2018.
Shashwat Saurabh, deputy commissioner of Upper Siang, said the district administration is in continuous contact with the Indian Army, who is making all efforts to bring back the boy.
Ninong Ering, a Congress MLA from Arunachal Pradesh’s Pasighat West constituency, told news agency ANI the alleged kidnapping represented “a very serious problem that has once again arisen” and that “it is unfortunate the Chinese are intruding into Indian territory”.
However, on January 23, the Chinese Army informed the defence officials that they found the 17-year-old missing boy of Arunachal Pradesh.
Previous cases:
In September 2020, five youths from Tagin tribe, who worked as porters for Indian Army, had gone missing from Upper Subansiri district on the Indian side of the McMahon line, bifurcating Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet autonomous region (TAR) of China. Following their disappearance, a brother of one of the youths posted on social media that they had been ‘abducted’ by the PLA. The same accusation was made by BJP MP Tapir Gao and Congress MLA Ninong Ering from Pasighat .
It was later revealed that the youths had strayed across the border during an expedition to hunt and collect medicinal herbs. They were handed back to India after 10 days by Chinese authorities.
ALSO READ: ARUNACHAL GOVERNMENT DRAFT PLAN ON PROPERTY RIGHTS TO GIRLS