Arunachal boy returns to India, alleges torture by PLA in custody

A boy from Arunachal Pradesh who was recently handed over to Indian Army by the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) said that he was tortured by the Chinese armed forces during captivity on the other side of the border.

Tezpur: A boy from Arunachal Pradesh who was recently handed over to the Indian Army by the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) said that he was tortured by the Chinese armed forces during captivity on the other side of the border.

According to the Indian Army, Miram Taron, a resident of the Upper Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh, had 'inadvertently strayed and went missing' recently while hunting on January 18, 2022. Although the PLA returned the boy to the Indian Army on January 27 at Damai Border Personnel Meeting Point, across Anjaw District of Arunachal Pradesh, the boy alleged that he was subjected to torture during PLA custody.

"They tied the hands of Miram soon after grabbing him in the forest and blindfolded him. Miram also told us that they kicked him thrice on the first day and gave him electric shock using some battery," said Miram's father Opang Teron while talking to ETV Bharat.

Opang said, "My son is not doing very well now. He needs rest. He was in custody for about ten days. They (read PLA) gave him food and everything. They also tried to speak to him but they were speaking in their language which my son does not understand. My son repeatedly told them to release him revealing his identity, but they failed to understand him due to language problems."

Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao in a tweet claimed that the boy was 'abducted' by the Chinese PLA while he was on a hunting trip to the Lungta Jor area on January 18.

Soon after the intimation by family members, the Indian Army immediately approached PLA on the hotline to trace and secure the safe return of the boy and shared the identity details of Miram with PLA.

"On 26 Jan, PLA confirmed that Miram would be handed back to the Indian Army at Damai Border Personnel Meeting Point on January 27 2022. Subsequently, Indian Army took over Miram Taron at Border Personnel Meeting point at Damai across Kibithu Sector Lohit Distt, Arunachal Pradesh after completing all the formalities," said Tezpur based Defence PRO Lt. Col Harsh Vardhan Pandey.

In a separate incident, three road construction workers were abducted by armed militants in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday. One of the three hails from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.

Police only said that the incident took place at Pumao Lokhou area in Longding district in Arunachal Pradesh. The abductors later released one of the three but the two others are still in their captivity. The two are identified as Hiren Koch and Ramshish Mahato. Mahato hails from Jalpaiguri, sources said.

The hands of one of the NSCN faction was suspected behind the incident.