On March 22, Ms. Ah Tial (24) and Mr. Tum Lian Thang (16) had opened a Home Ministry envelope and rewritten a letter. The letter was to be submitted to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in New Delhi. Moreover, Ms Ah Tial is said have torn the letter before an official of the FRRO.

Inside the envelope, there was a recommendation letter for extending the permit to allow Ms. Ah Tial and her brother for resettlement in Australia on April 8 under the UNHCR's resettlement programme.

The FRRO officials complained to the police and both were arrested. They were produced in the Patiala Court in New Delhi on March 23.

Though lawyers from the Social Legal Information Centre (SLIC), an implementing partner of UNHCR in Delhi are trying to bail the two refugees out, but the plea has been rejected, according to Pa Ceu, president of the Chin Refugee Committee in New Delhi.

Ms. Ah Tial and her brother have been charged under the Indian Penal code section (420), 468), (471) and (201). Under these sections, the accused are likely to serve a long term in prison.

Ah Tial (24) has been kept in Tihal jail and her brother Tum Lian Thang (16) is in an observation home in Mukherji Nagar in Delhi. – KNG.