In a shocking incident, an Indian-origin UK resident from Arunachal Pradesh has alleged that she was detained, harassed and prevented from boarding her connecting flight by Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport after they refused to recognise her Indian passport during a transit halt, India Today reported.

The woman, identified as Prema Wangjom Thongdok, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 with a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai. She claimed that immigration officers declared her passport “invalid” solely because it mentioned Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth, insisting that the northeastern state belonged to China.

According to Prema, officials at the immigration desk told her: “Arunachal Pradesh is part of China.”

She further alleged that several immigration personnel and China Eastern Airlines staff mocked and laughed at her, and even suggested she “apply for a Chinese passport.”

Prema stated that her passport was seized and she was barred from boarding her onward flight to Japan despite holding a valid visa. Confined to the transit area, she said she was not allowed to rebook tickets, buy meals or move freely between terminals.

The woman said assistance finally arrived after she managed to contact the Indian Consulate in Shanghai through a friend in the UK. Indian officials later escorted her to a late-night departure from the city.