Prema Thongdok, an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh currently living in the UK, alleges that she was detained for nearly eighteen hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport after Chinese authorities deemed her Indian passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.

According to her account, the woman—who was travelling to China for work—was reportedly questioned aggressively and subjected to repeated verification checks despite holding valid travel documents. She claimed that officials spoke to her in a dismissive manner and detained her for an unusual amount of time without providing a clear explanation.

(Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory, and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold Indian passports, the source said)