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Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
BSF constable remains in Pakistan custody
Border Security Force (BSF) constable, Purnab Kumar Shaw, who had inadvertently crossed the international border on April 23, remained in Pakistan's custody for the fifth consecutive day with the neighbouring country not responding to India's repeated requests for his release. A BSF official, privy to the situation, said, 'Since Wednesday afternoon, we have been looking for a positive move from Pakistan, but nothing has happened.' Meanwhile, the wife of BSF jawan on Sunday said she would visit Ferozepur in Punjab to gather information from senior officials of the force about efforts to bring back her husband. The pregnant woman, her son and three other relatives would take a flight to Chandigarh on Monday and thereafter reach Ferozepur. Shaw hails from Hooghly district in West Bengal. 'I have been under severe stress since hearing the news. Today is the fifth day and there is no update on his return,' Shaw's wife Rajani said. 'I have got tomorrow's flight ticket for Chandigarh. From there I will go to Ferozepur. My son and three other relatives will accompany me,' she said. To date, three flag meetings between BSF and Pakistan Rangers have ended without a breakthrough. The last meeting was held on Friday. 'Our teams assembled at the designated point with the flag raised as per established protocol. Initially, there was no response from Pakistan Rangers. Later in the afternoon, they came and questioned why the meeting was requested, despite the situation being self-evident,' said the official involved in the negotiations. 'They informed us that they were still awaiting orders from their superiors. Once again, the discussions remained inconclusive,' he added. According to BSF officials, the incident occurred when the jawan, escorting a group of farmers near the border, stepped away to rest under a tree, unknowingly slipping into Pakistani territory. He was posted with the 182nd battalion of the BSF at the Ferozepur border. 'The fencing exists only on the Indian side, while the actual international boundary is marked by a small pillar, often hard to identify for new personnel,' a BSF officer, pleading anonymity, explained. The incident came to public light on April 24 amid heightened security along the Indo-Pakistan border post the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists. With inputs from PTI
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BSF constable remains in Pakistan custody for 4th day in row
Border Security Force (BSF) constable, Purnab Kumar Shaw, who had inadvertently crossed the international border on Wednesday, remained in Pakistan's custody for the fourth consecutive day as the neighbouring country did not respond to India's repeated requests for his release. A BSF official, privy to the situation, said, 'Since Wednesday afternoon, we have been looking for a positive move from Pakistan, but nothing has happened.' A flag meeting between BSF and Pakistan Rangers on Friday had ended without any breakthrough. This was the third flag meeting sought by the BSF since the incident. Also Read | Bengal: Family of BSF jawan captured by Pakistan hopes for his safe return soon 'Our teams assembled at the designated point with the flag raised as per established protocol, but initially, there was no response from Pakistan Rangers. Later in the afternoon, they came and questioned why the meeting was requested, despite the situation being self-evident,' said an official involved in the negotiations. 'They informed us that they were still awaiting orders from their superiors. Once again, the discussions remained inconclusive,' he added. Also Read | No reply from Pakistan Rangers to BSF's latest request for release of constable Shaw, originally from Hooghly district West Bengal, had accidentally crossed into Pakistani territory while assisting farmers near the zero line on Wednesday afternoon. 'The fencing exists only on the Indian side, while the actual international boundary is marked by a small pillar — often hard to identify for new personnel,' explained another BSF officer. He noted that India regularly returns civilians and even security personnel who accidentally cross the border without hostile intent. The incident came to public attention on Thursday amid heightened security along the Indo-Pakistan frontier and on the same day when India announced strong diplomatic measures against Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bengal: Family of BSF jawan captured by Pakistan hopes for his safe return soon
Kolkata: The family members of Purnab Kumar Shaw, the Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who was captured by Pakistan Rangers in Punjab when he inadvertently crossed the international border on Wednesday, are likely to go to Pathankot to meet senior BSF officers, hoping for his safe return soon, his wife Rajni Shaw told the media on Saturday. 'Four days have passed since my husband was captured by Pakistani forces. All I am getting to hear is that flag meetings were being held to bring him back. Tomorrow I am going to Pathankot with a few other family members,' Rajni Shaw told media persons in Hooghly district. Shaw, who was on duty at the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab's Ferozepur district, accidentally crossed the border while assisting border villagers (farmers) working in the fields near the zero line on Wednesday and was taken by the Pakistan border force. 'I can't wait anymore. I will go to any extent. My husband's safe return is my top priority now. I will even knock on the doors of the Prime Minister and the President. I don't know how my husband is. Whether he has been tortured?' Rajni told reporters. The family members are spending sleepless nights as the news comes at a time when the relation between the two nations has touched the rock-bottom following the terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, which left 26 dead. Nadia village bids farewell to martyred soldier Meanwhile, at Patharghata village in Nadia district, people came out in hundreds to pay their last respect to Jhontu Ali Sheikh, a commando in the Indian Army's special forces, who was killed during an encounter with terrorists in Udhampur, a day after the Pahalgam attack. 'Terrorists have killed 26 innocent tourists. Indian Army will surely take revenge. My younger brother made the supreme sacrifice. I am proud. He is a soldier of the Indian Army first and then my brother. I would miss him as a brother,' said Rafiq Ali Sheikh, the martyr's elder brother who is also in the Indian Army. The air in the village reverberated with slogans glorifying the martyred soldier as his mortal remains reached his village and a huge procession was taken out before the last rights were performed. Nationalistic slogans filled the air as the army gave a gun salute before the funeral pyre was lit.
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
2 days on, BSF jawan still in Pak custody
Two days have passed since the Indian authorities requested the release of a Border Security Force (BSF) constable, who inadvertently crossed into Pakistani territory on Wednesday, but the Pakistan Rangers are yet to respond. Constable Purnab Kumar Shaw of the 24th battalion, a resident of West Bengal, was taken into custody by the Pakistan Rangers after accidentally crossing the Zero Line in the Ferozepur sector. He was escorting a group of local farmers harvesting wheat across the border fence in the Mamdot block at the time of the incident. Shaw was in uniform and armed with his G2 service rifle, along with three magazines and 60 rounds. 'The jawan inadvertently crossed into Pakistani territory and was detained. Despite continuous efforts, the Pakistan Rangers have not responded to our plea for his release so far,' said Atul Fulzele, inspector general of BSF, Punjab Frontier. The incident came to light on Thursday, amid heightened tensions along the Indo-Pak border following a deadly terror attack near Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists. India has since announced a series of strong diplomatic actions against Pakistan, including the expulsion of Pakistani military attachés, suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, and immediate closure of the Attari land-transit point. Two flag meetings between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers—one on Wednesday evening and another on Thursday at 2 pm—ended without resolution. According to officials, the Pakistani side cited the need to consult 'higher authorities' as the reason for not releasing Shaw. A third flag meeting, scheduled for 11 am on Thursday, saw no Pakistani participation. Shaw, who was posted to the border area on April 10, 2025, was on his first deployment to this region. Officials noted that the geography of the area, which includes farmlands located up to 150 meters beyond the border fence but within Indian territory, can be confusing for new personnel. Farmers are granted access to these fields under BSF supervision during harvest season. In this instance, only Shaw crossed the border inadvertently, while the farmers remained behind. Security officials stated that similar incidents have occurred in the past and are typically resolved through flag meetings and mutual coordination. However, Pakistan is yet to provide a timeline for the next meeting or any commitment regarding Shaw's release. BSF officials from the Jallo Ke Border outpost were immediately dispatched to the site and are continuing diplomatic and operational efforts to secure Shaw's safe and early return.
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
BSF jawan still in Pak custody as talks remain inconclusive
A Border Security Force (BSF) constable, Purnab Kumar Shaw, continued to be under detention by Pakistan Rangers for the third day on Friday after the Pakistani forces came to the flag meeting called by the Border Security Force but said they were still waiting for an order from their seniors, officials said. Shaw, who recently joined duty at the Indo-Punjab border in Punjab's Ferozepur district, accidentally crossed the border while assisting border villagers(farmers) working in the fields near the zero line on Wednesday and was taken by the Pakistan border force. He was detained in Pakistan from Wednesday afternoon. The flag meeting, the third since Wednesday afternoon, was held at the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab's Ferozepur district. Also Read | Saudi minister dials Delhi and Islamabad, Iran offers to mediate amid Indo-Pak tension 'This morning, Pakistan Rangers did not respond to the request for the flag meeting. Our teams were at the border with the flag, which is the norm but they did not come. Later in the afternoon, they came to the border and asked why we had called a flag meeting. We said the matter is obvious. The Pakistan Rangers personnel present there said they are awaiting directions from their higher ups. The talks were again inconclusive,' an officer aware of the matter said, adding that efforts were on to secure his release. During the day, BSF chief Daljit Singh Chawdhary reached the North Block and briefed senior home ministry officials about the matter. Chawdhary was not available for a comment despite phone calls and messages. Neither the BSF nor the Union home ministry issued any statement on the meeting. Shaw, a resident of Hooghly in West Bengal, was posted with an ad-hoc team at the Indo-Punjab border since April 10. He wearing his uniform and on duty when he inadvertently crossed the border. 'Beyond the fence there is a small pillar, which is the border. It is an invisible line ahead of the fence. We have border fence only on the Indian side. The constable was new to the area and accidentally crossed the invisible line. BSF has always returned unarmed foreigners who cross the border accidentally. Just last month, one such Pakistan national was returned,' a second officer added. Also Read | India continues diplomatic offensive on Pahalgam attack's cross-border linkages His family in West Bengal's Hooghly said BSF officials from his unit told them they were working to secure his release. Shaw's nephew, Rahul, said,' The commandant said they would inform us if there is any development. We are worried and hope that he is safe there.' The incident –– which came to light on Thursday –– came amid heightened alert at the international border with Pakistan and on a day India unveiled a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against Pakistan over the brazen terror attack near Pahalgam that killed 26 tourists.
