DHARAMSHALA: Amid growing clampdown on the Tibetan people’s freedom of religion and expression, a Tibetan man was arrested and beaten after police found photos and audio recordings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings in his phone.

Norgyay, a laborer from Dingri county in Tibet Autonomous Region’s Shigatse prefecture, was detained in the region’s capital Lhasa on Jan. 14 during a random police check on the stored content of mobile phones carried by Tibetans, according to Radio Free Asia, a leading Tibetan radio service.

“Police found audio teachings and pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Norgyay’s mobile handset, and he was detained,” RFA said, citing a source with close contacts in the region.

The audio clip was supposedly of a teaching given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama recently in south India. Norgyay had shared the photos and the audio clips with others before being detained by the police.

“He was beaten and tortured while in custody at a detention centre near Lhasa. The Chinese police even warned him to sever all connections with outside contacts,” the source told RFA.

Images and recordings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are strictly monitored and banned in Tibet and those found in possession of them are treated harshly and even imprisoned at times.

In October last year, a Tibetan mother of three children was arrested by Chinese authorities from Nagchu (in Tibet Autonomous Region) for circulating photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama through Wechat, a social network app for mobile phones.

In July 2013, Chinese police opened fire and used tear gas to disperse peaceful Tibetans who have gathered to celebrate the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tawu county. At least 14 Tibetans were injured in that incident.