‘We want his safe return': Bengal family's plea after Pakistan detains BSF jawan

Indian Express

25-04-2025

Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw, a head constable with the Border Security Force (BSF) from Hooghly, West Bengal, was detained by Pakistan rangers.
Shaw reportedly inadvertently crossed the border on Wednesday near Ferozepur, amidst the ongoing India-Pakistan standoff after an attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
'We have been told that release talks are on. The Central government and state government are making all efforts. We are hopeful of his safe return,' said his brother, Rajeshwar Pandey.
The Constable's wife, Rajni Shaw, a resident of the Aown road in Rishra, tearfully appealed to the government for her husband's swift release. 'His friend had called. He said that my husband has been kidnapped by the Pakistan side while he was on duty. They have arrested him. I spoke to him on Tuesday for the last time. For 17 years, he has been in service. I want his safe and early release,' she pleaded. The couple has a seven-year-old child.
According to Rajeshwar Pandey, the incident occurred on Wednesday. 'His friend said he was on duty and was not feeling well, so he thought to sit under a tree to take rest, and he dozed off. At that moment, Pakistani rangers came, took his arms and took him away. We called the BSF office and they assured us that efforts are on to release him. He was a part of the 24th Battalion,' Pandey stated.
Family members of constable Purnam Kumar Shaw at their house in Rishra, Hoogly district. (Express Photo)
Rajni Shaw recounted her last conversation with her husband. 'I last spoke to him on Tuesday at 1 am, and on Wednesday around 6 am he was detained by Pakistani rangers. I appeal to our Indian government to bring him back safely,' she said, her voice filled with emotion.
Expressing his concern, Shaw's nephew, Rahul Shaw, questioned the circumstances of his crossing the border while speaking to The Indian Express.
'He has been on duty for 17 years, is it believable that he will go on their side? We are worried now that the Pahalgam incident has happened, we don't know what is happening inside, we just want his safe return,' he said.
The recent militant attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in casualties, has heightened the family's anxiety regarding Constable Shaw's safety while in Pakistani custody. Following the militant attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, India has taken a series of strong diplomatic and strategic steps against Pakistan's over 'cross-border linkages' to the Pahalgam attack.