Behind Pakistan couple's death in Rajasthan desert, a family dispute that forced them to flee

Indian Express

17 hours ago

Meva Ram, a vegetable vendor residing in Jaisalmer, was recently contacted by local authorities in connection with the discovery of two bodies found in the desert. The deceased were identified as a young couple from Pakistan. Based on preliminary documentation and local inputs, the police suspected a possible link between the couple and Meva Ram.
'I had no idea at first,' said Meva Ram. 'The news broke on June 28, and later I learned through media reports that the couple was from Sindh province in Pakistan, not far from the village my family originally hails from. The next day, I was summoned to the police station to provide more information.'
A member of the Hindu community in Pakistan, Meva Ram migrated to India in 2015 seeking asylum. He explained that he is the jamai (son-in-law) of the same village the woman reportedly belonged to.
Police recovered two Pakistani national identity cards from the male victim's clothing. The documents identified the deceased as Ravi Kumar (17), son of Dewan Jee, and Shanti Bai (15), daughter of Guloo Ji. Both cards mentioned 'Pakistan' and had Urdu text on the reverse side.
'Police requested that I reach out to the couple's families across the border. After contacting several relatives in Pakistan, I eventually got the family's contact information. I don't usually make any calls to Pakistan, but after receiving permission from the authorities, I called Ravi Kumar's father in their presence,' said Meva Ram.
According to him, Ravi Kumar was from Mirpur Mathelo village in Ghotki district, Sindh. The couple, who had been married for about one and a half years, reportedly left home following a dispute with Ravi's father. Ravi had told his family he would travel with his wife to her parental village, Ghulam Hussain. The family expected them to return within a few days.
'The couple left their home on June 21 and switched off their phones. From their village, the Indian border is approximately 50 kilometers away. Although they had applied for Indian visas, approval had been pending for over a year and a half. The couple allegedly crossed the border on foot and died from dehydration en route. Their families in Pakistan filed a missing persons report on June 22 after being unable to reach them,' said Meva Ram.
Local police were alerted by shepherds who discovered the bodies near the Gaj Singh well. Upon arrival, police identified the deceased using the Pakistani ID cards found with them. The extreme heat and dehydration had severely decomposed the bodies.
Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police, Sudheer Chaudhary, told The Indian Express that the bodies were cremated after post-mortem, as they had decayed to a degree that posed a public health risk.
Efforts by The Indian Express to contact the couple's families in Pakistan remained unsuccessful, as their phones were found switched off. Sources indicated that the families fear potential repercussions from Pakistani authorities if they speak to media.
Dilip Singh Sodha, district coordinator of the Hindu Pakistani Displaced Union and Border People's Organisation, expressed concern over the incident. 'Many Pakistani Hindus are desperate to come to India, but delays in government processes have pushed people to take such risks. After Operation Sindoor, there is increasing uncertainty over visa approvals. We urge the Indian government to expedite the visa process and address the plight of displaced Hindus,' he said.