The incident comes on the heels of a similar one in March.
Guwahati:
Arunachal Pradesh police said on Saturday they dispatched a team to a remote area near the India-China border in the Upper Subansiri district to “fact-check” media reports that five men from the state were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese army amid growing tension between the two countries over a clash in Ladakh.
Arunachal Times, a major local newspaper, published a report on Saturday saying that five men from the Tagin community were picked up from the jungle near the town of Nacho while they were hunting. The report was based on the account of a relative of one of the five men, who had claimed that they were kidnapped by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army or the PLA in a social media post that has been widely shared.
Although neither the Indian army nor the Arunachal Pradesh government have so far officially confirmed the claims, district police in Upper Subansiri said a team was dispatched to the remote area to find out the truth, but that they could only return on Sunday from the village. It is only taxable on foot.
“We learned about the incident through media reports and publications on social networks. We have discussed the matter with the police headquarters and we have sent a team led by the officer in charge of the Nacho police station to the area to verify the facts,” said the Upper Subansiri Police Superintendent Taru Gussar to NDTV by phone.
“So far there has been no formal police report of this, but as the matter is sensitive, we have sent our men to find out the facts with the villagers and relatives. Incidents of this type have also occurred in the past in these areas. We have taken this seriously, “he said.
The Arunachal Times report also said that two other villagers who had accompanied the abducted men and managed to escape recounted the incident to the villagers.
Daporijo, the seat of the Upper Subansiri districts of Arunachal Pradesh, is 280 km from the state capital, Itanagar. The border between India and China is about 170 km from Daporijo. The town of Nacho, from where the police team was sent on foot to the town in the front area, is 125 km from Daporijo, but due to bad roads, it takes about six hours to get there.
Meanwhile, Arunachal East Member of Parliament and BJP top leader Tapir Gao tweeted saying: “5 young Tagin have reportedly been abducted by China’s #PLA in Sera7 area below McMahon line under Indian territory in Upper Subansiri in Arunachal since September 3. Incident happened in March. It is time to take a position against #CCP (Sic) “.
The Pasighat MLA Congress in Arunachal Pradesh and former Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering had also shared posts from a social media user named Prakash Ringling, who claimed that his brother Prasad Ringling and four other young people: Toch Singkam, Dongtu Ebiya , Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri, were “kidnapped” by the PLA of China.
The incident comes shortly after a similar one when a 21-year-old man from Arunachal, Tongle Sinkam, was allegedly abducted on March 19 by the Chinese military after he reportedly crossed the McMohan Line to the Chinese side in search. of herbs, was handed over to the Indian army after 14 days.
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