The whereabouts of the five youths from Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border in Arunachal Pradesh, who were allegedly abducted on Friday by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are yet to be known, reported PTI, quoting Arunachal Pradesh police. 

Five young villagers from the Nacho area of the district had gone for hunting in a jungle on September 4, when they were allegedly kidnapped by the People Liberation Army (PLA). Engaged as porters and guides by the Army, the youths were reported missing by their families through social media last Friday. 

Two members of the group after returning home, informed the families of the other five that they had been taken away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located about 12 km further north of Nacho, which is the last administrative circle along the McMahon line and is around 120 km from the district headquarters Daporijo.

The youths, allegedly kidnapped, have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri.

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and representative of the Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency, Kiren Rijiju, said that the Indian Army is awaiting word from China’s PLA on its ‘hotline message’ regarding suspected abduction. 

He tweeted, “The Indian Army has already sent hotline message to the counterpart PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh. Response is awaited.”

Upper Subansiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Taru Gussar told PTI, “We came to know from local sources that five people belonging to the Tagin community were abducted by the PLA from a jungle near Nacho when they were out hunting.”

According to the SP, no one has lodged any formal complaint with the police or the armed forces that guard strategic areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries.

In a statement, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) said, “The recent incident is not an isolated case as time and again the PLA has been repeatedly indulging in similar antics whereby innocent civilians living at the inhospitable border areas are taken captive at regular intervals.”