The pigeon was caught with Chinese tags in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. (HT Photo)

A pigeon with a tag bearing numbers written in Chinese has thrown Indian authorities into a flutter, as fears spread that the feathered prisoner could be a Chinese spy. The Chinese public, meanwhile, has ridiculed the accusation as groundless and ludicrous.

The pigeon, which was reportedly caught in the disputed border region between China and India on May 20, has become a full-blown suspect of Chinese espionage. According to the Hindustan Times, the bird was found with an inscribed tag on its left leg.

This is not the first time that a pigeon has been singled out by India authorities as a potential perpetrator of foreign espionage. In 2016, a white pigeon was caught and caged by Indian security forces in a border district adjoining Kashmir, as it was suspected of having Pakistani "links.”

Such seizures have been ridiculed across Chinese social and traditional media. Many have suggested that, instead of punishing an innocent bird, Indian authorities should first deal with the country's security shortcomings.

“After reading the information circulating online, I would say that the bird might be a homing pigeon participating in a contest. Pigeons used for contests are normally tagged with rings bearing numbers and characters; I see no reason for Indian authorities to panic about it,” one netizen wrote on Sina Weibo.

“Despite its large population and territory, India remains a country without a shred of security. Maybe it should start to trust its neighbors, rather than making groundless accusations,” wrote another.