New Delhi: On Wednesday morning, the Border Security Force (BSF) announced that Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw, who had been detained by Pakistan since April 23, was returned to India.
A spokesperson stated, ‘At 10:30 hours today, Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw was repatriated from Pakistan at the Attari-Wagah border, thanks to the persistent efforts of the BSF through regular flag meetings with the Pakistan Rangers and other communication methods.’ Shaw’s father, Bhola Nath Shaw, a retired bank employee, mentioned, ‘Last night, we received calls from senior officers informing us of the development and that he was to be released, although we have not yet received official confirmation.’
Shaw was apprehended by the Pakistan Rangers on April 23 after he accidentally crossed into Pakistan while on duty at the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab. Initially, personnel from the Pakistan Rangers participated in flag meetings with BSF officers, but communication ceased due to crossfire incidents along the border.
Shaw, who had recently been assigned to the Indo-Punjab border in Ferozepur district, inadvertently crossed the border while assisting local farmers near the zero line and was subsequently taken by the Pakistan border guarding force. A resident of Hooghly in West Bengal, Shaw had been serving with an ad-hoc team at the Indo-Punjab border since April 10, and was in uniform at the time of the incident.
