Arunachal Pradesh, September 10: China has handed over the five Indian citizens, all men, who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday. The handover took place on Saturday at the Chinese border and the men then reached Kibithu border post.
According to the statement of the army, the five men who went missing from Arunachal since September 1, were hunters. “Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich natural heritage and adventurous people fond of exploring the nature for medicinal herbs and possessing a traditional flair for hunting which involves surviving off the land for weeks in jungles and far-flung remote areas. During such adventurous forays, at times youth have inadvertently strayed to the other side of the Line of Actual Control,” said Pande.
Earlier on Friday, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had also marked at the similar exchange. In a tweet, he had said “The universe PLA had confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to overside. They can return them by 12th September 2020 at a designated location.” The matter came in the highlight of attention to authorities when family members had been taken by the Chinese Army while hunting in the border. Meanwhile, two men happened to be from the same group escaped from the situation.
The missing men have been identified as Toch Sig Kam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Hibiya, Tanu Baker and Nagru Diri. All of them are from Nacho area of Arunachal’s Upper Subansiri District. The men went hunting on September 2, were allegedly whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located around 12 km further north of Nacho in Upper Subansiri district.
All of these individuals have been brought back home safely after consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian army.
“All five of them will now be placed under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and thereafter be handed over to their family members,” the spokesperson said.
