China's People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is said to have abducted a 17-year-old boy from the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh at around 6.30 pm on January 18, media reports said.

Identified as Miram Taron, the teenager, a resident of Zido village in Upper Siang district, was abducted by the Chinese Army from Lungta Jor area, BJP MP from Arunachal-East Tapir Gao said on January 19.

China's Foreign Ministry responded on January 20 that it was not aware of this incident but said the PLA controls the borders and cracks down on "illegal entry and exit activities."

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Here’s what we know about the teen’s abduction so far.

The PLA of China abducted Taron when he was hunting and gathering herbs in the border area, reports said.

Taron’s friend, 27-year-old Johny Yaiying, who was with him, informed the authorities about the kidnapping, PTI reported, quoting Gao. Yaiying managed to escape, he added.

The local administration informed the Indian Army operating in the region about the abduction. “Continuous efforts are underway to rescue the youth at the earliest,” Hindustan Times quoted Shashvat Saurabh, Deputy Commissioner of Upper Siang, as saying.

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On January 19, BJP MP Tapir Gao tweeted about the incident and asked Indian agencies to step up efforts for Taron’s early release. He tagged the Army, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in his tweets.

Gao said he had also informed N. Pramanik, Minister of State for Home Affairs, about the incident.

The Indian Army is said to have reached out to the PLA via a hotline and sought its assistance in locating the missing youth, ANI reported quoting defence sources.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the issue. "The Prime Minister's cowardly silence is his statement... he doesn't care," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. He said he would stand by the family of Miram Taron and not lose hope or accept defeat.

Congress MLA from Arunachal Ninong Ering told ANI: “This is a very serious problem that has once again arisen in Arunachal Pradesh.”

In September 2020, the Chinese army allegedly abducted five youths from Tagin tribe, who worked as porters for the Indian Army. The five, who were abducted from Upper Subansiri district, were released after 10 days.

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Later reports said the youths had strayed across the border while hunting and gathering medicinal herbs.

At the time, the Indian Army had said it was the third such incident where youths from Arunachal Pradesh “strayed inadvertently to the other side of line of actual control (LAC).”

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)