Itanagar: Union Law minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that the “safety and safe return” of Arunachalee youth Miram Taron to his home is the “priority” of the Indian government and it is constantly following all developments related to the case since day one.
The union minister’s statement comes a week after Taron went “missing” from the Indo-Tibet border in Upper Siang district.
According to Rijiju the 19-year-old boy of Jido Village in Upper Siang district was found missing on January 18 at Shiyung La in Bishing area.
“Some people reported that the Chinese PLA had taken him into their custody. Since the individual was missing from area close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army immediately approached the Chinese side on January 19 asking for assistance in tracing and return of the individual, in case he had strayed into Chinese territory or the PLA has taken him in their custody,” Rijiju said in a statement posted on twitter.
The union minister said the “Chinese side assured that they would search for the individual and return him as per established protocol.”
“Later on January 20, the Chinese side intimated that they had found a boy on their side and requested for further details to establish the identity. To assist the Chinese side in corroborating the identity, personal details and photo of the individual (Taron) has been shared side by the Indian Army. The response from the Chinese side is awaited,” the union minister added.
Rijiju, who also represents the Arunachal West assembly constituency, has further appealed to all to be cautious while making statements that are not based on facts.
“We are constantly following the case from the day one. I appeal everyone to be cautious in making statements which are not based on facts because the safety and safe return of our Young Arunachal Pradesh youth is the priority,” he said.
It may be mentioned that Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao who was the first person to share the information on Taron’s disappearance had alleged that he was “taken captive by the PLA from Indian Territory.”
Gao’s claim was later also backed by Taron’s father and the locals of Jido village who claimed that the area where Taron and his friend Jhonny Yaying had gone hunting is the traditional hunting ground of the Adi people and was well inside Indian Territory.
Yaying had reportedly managed to escape the abduction.
