- By Raju Kumar
- Wed, 14 May 2025 11:33 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Border Security Force (BSF) Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who had been in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since 23 April, was repatriated at Attari-Wagah border on Wednesday. The captive jawan was handed over to India at 10.30 am through the Joint Check Post Attari, in Amritsar, Punjab, amid growing demand for his release. Shaw had mistakenly crossed the border and was detained by the Pakistan Army, just a day after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, triggering a confrontation between armed forces of India and Pakistan.
Family Of BSF Jawan Seeks His Early Return
The BSF Jawan's repatriation ended the anaxious wait of his family in West Bengal's Hooghly district. They kept pleading the authorities for his safe return after he was detained by Pakistan Rangers for accidentally crossing the international border in Punjab.
Shaw posted with the 182nd Battalion of the BSF at the Ferozepur border in Punjab, was taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers on April 23. According to official sources, the jawan was in uniform and carrying his service rifle when the incident occurred.
Aged around 40, Sahu had returned to duty on March 31 after spending his leave at home. According to his family members, he is a 17-year veteran of the BSF and lives with his parents, wife and a seven-year-old son.
Hid detention had left the family deeply shaken. His wife, Rajani Sahu, had been inconsolable since the news broke.
"One of his colleagues called and told us that he was caught while on duty. I last spoke to him on Tuesday night. He has been with the BSF for 17 years. I just want him to return home soon," she had said, fighting back tears.
How Shaw Crossed Border?
Shaw, who hails from Harisabha area of Rishra in Hooghly, was reportedly accompanying a group of farmers near the border when he walked ahead to rest under a tree and inadvertently crossed over into Pakistan territory, where he was apprehended.
His brother, Shyamsundar Sahu, had urged the Central government and BSF authorities to intervene swiftly.
"We want the government to ensure his safe and immediate return. The entire family is extremely worried," he had told a Bengali news channel.
(With agency inputs)
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