NEW DELHI: With a blindfold covering his eyes and his head tilted slightly to the right, BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw appeared tense and disoriented — like a man caught in uncertainty, thousands of miles from home.
The image, released by the Pakistan Rangers while he was in their custody, offered a chilling glimpse into the fate of the soldier who had inadvertently crossed the border on April 23 — a day after the deadly Pahalgam attack that sharply escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
Back home, his wife — pregnant with their second child — endured anxious days and sleepless nights. Shuttling between West Bengal and Punjab, she clung to hope. Each passing day brought the same haunting question: would she ever see her husband return?
The image, which surfaced later, marked the beginning of his nearly three-week detention in Pakistan.
Shaw, posted with the 182 Battalion in the Ferozepur sector of Punjab, was caught after straying across the border. His repatriation was delayed due to heightened hostilities following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. With tensions escalating, Pakistan suspended all flag meetings along the border, stalling diplomatic channels.
His wife, Rajani Shaw, travelled from West Bengal to Punjab in the days that followed, seeking help from BSF officials and urging the Centre to intervene. Appeals were also made by political representatives from his constituency in Serampore.
After weeks of uncertainty, Shaw was handed back to India on May 14 at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post in Amritsar. The official handover took place around 10.30am and followed established cross-border protocols.
Sources said that under normal circumstances, such repatriations are completed within 24 to 48 hours. Once back, Shaw was taken for medical examination and debriefing. BSF officials confirmed he was in stable health.
The Punjab Frontier, guarded by the BSF’s western command, oversees a 553-km stretch of the Indo-Pak border — 518 km on land and 33 km riverine — a sensitive zone where accidental crossings can trigger high-level diplomatic negotiations.
The image, released by the Pakistan Rangers while he was in their custody, offered a chilling glimpse into the fate of the soldier who had inadvertently crossed the border on April 23 — a day after the deadly Pahalgam attack that sharply escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.
Back home, his wife — pregnant with their second child — endured anxious days and sleepless nights. Shuttling between West Bengal and Punjab, she clung to hope. Each passing day brought the same haunting question: would she ever see her husband return?
The image, which surfaced later, marked the beginning of his nearly three-week detention in Pakistan.
Shaw, posted with the 182 Battalion in the Ferozepur sector of Punjab, was caught after straying across the border. His repatriation was delayed due to heightened hostilities following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. With tensions escalating, Pakistan suspended all flag meetings along the border, stalling diplomatic channels.
His wife, Rajani Shaw, travelled from West Bengal to Punjab in the days that followed, seeking help from BSF officials and urging the Centre to intervene. Appeals were also made by political representatives from his constituency in Serampore.
After weeks of uncertainty, Shaw was handed back to India on May 14 at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post in Amritsar. The official handover took place around 10.30am and followed established cross-border protocols.
Sources said that under normal circumstances, such repatriations are completed within 24 to 48 hours. Once back, Shaw was taken for medical examination and debriefing. BSF officials confirmed he was in stable health.
The Punjab Frontier, guarded by the BSF’s western command, oversees a 553-km stretch of the Indo-Pak border — 518 km on land and 33 km riverine — a sensitive zone where accidental crossings can trigger high-level diplomatic negotiations.
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