Latest news with #Purnam
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
BSF jawan captured by Pak Rangers returns to duty
Rishra: Purnam Kumar Shaw, the BSF soldier who was in the detention of the Pakistan Rangers , went back to his workplace at Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. Shaw, who was released by Pakistan last month, had come back home in Rishra on May 23. Shaw, who was part of the BSF's 'Kisan Guard', boarded the Bikaner-Rajdhani Express on Sunday. Purnam's father, Bholanath Shaw, earlier said that he would continue to serve the nation despite his bitter experiences. Shaw inadvertently crossed the border on April 23 at a time when the tension between India and Pakistan was mounting. He was put into detention by the Pakistan Rangers and was released after 23 days. Purnam earlier told TOI that he was feeling homesick when he was in detention in Pakistan. When he was released, he requested BSF officials to allow him to visit home once. "He was overwhelmed with the love and affection of the locals in the past few days. We never imagined that so many people would shower him with their blessings," Bholanath Shaw said. His wife, Rajani Shaw, said, "We are happy that he is going to serve the nation again. For him, the nation comes first and he is happy to serve the country."
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Best homecoming for BSF jawan Purnam Shaw in 17 yrs of service
Rishra: Homecoming for Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Shaw has never been this sweet. Literally so. Sweets have been pouring in from all quarters. His mother ensured her son's favourite rasgullas were there before he arrived in Rishra on Friday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His sisters, who stay in Kharagpur and Durgapur and came to meet him, also brought packets of sweets. Several other relatives and even neighbours have dropped by to greet the man who acquired national fame after being held captive in Pakistan for a fortnight. Purnam strayed across the international border with Pakistan at Ferozepur on April 23 and remained in the custody of Pakistan Rangers until May 14, when he was repatriated to India. 'During the captivity, there were times when I doubted if I would ever be able to see my parents, wife, and son again. It was a fortnight, but to me, it seemed an eternity. Being a soldier, I will be back on duty as soon as I am summoned. But the experience of being behind enemy lines when the two countries were at war is something I will never forget," he told TOI after finishing lunch late on Saturday afternoon. Purnam returned to duty at Ferozepur barely two months ago and would have returned in Aug during the holy month of Sawan and the Rakhi festival had he not ventured into Pakistan last month. "When I was posted in Kashmir, we had to be very careful because crossing the line of control could mean being fired at. That is not so in Ferozepur. Here, there are posts at intervals to demarcate the international border. I was somewhere between two posts and still don't know how I managed to cross the line or what was going on in my mind that I did not realise I was trespassing," he said. But he is glad the nightmare is over and that he is now safely back home. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The welcome he has received has been overwhelming. "I have done duty at many challenging places in the past 17 years since I joined the BSF, including Guwahati, Tripura, Nagaland, and Manipur in the north-east, Malda in West Bengal, and Kashmir on the western front, and now Punjab. But this homecoming has been unlike any one I have had before," Purnam told TOI. Though it has been over 24 hours since he returned home, the constant stream of visitors and well-wishers has meant that he is yet to get time alone with his parents, wife, and son. But he does not mind the adulation, as he says it was everyone's prayers that enabled him to return home. When the excitement dies down and the spotlight shifts, Purnam wants to thank his wife Rajani for being so courageous during his ordeal and travelling to Pherozepur to meet his commanding officer and press for his release from Pakistan. "She is pregnant and has been advised rest. But she set out for a strange land in my search. I never knew she was this brave," remarked Purnam.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘Second Birth': More than week after release by Pakistan, BSF jawan Purnam Shaw reaches home
BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, 40, who returned to India on May 14, after being released by Pakistan Rangers, reached his residence in the Hooghly district on Friday evening. Shaw, 40, was detained on April 23 by Pakistan Rangers after he inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab's Ferozepur district, a day after terrorists killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir. He was held captive for nearly three weeks. Dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, with garland adorning his neck and a mask on his face, Shaw received an emotional reception by his family and well-wishers at the Howrah station, with chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. In a heartwarming moment, Purnam's father Bholanath Shaw, warmly embraced and hugged his son, amidst a cheering crowd, bringing both of them to tears of joy. On Friday, Purnam's car stopped at a shop in Liluah while he was traveling home from Howrah to Rishra in Hooghly. Expressing gratitude the BSF constable said: 'Thank you all. With everyone's blessings, I have a second birth. I got to see all my family members.' Before reaching home, Purnam shared a powerful message: 'Our soldiers should not be afraid. We have to guard the border day and night. If we are afraid, what will happen to the countrymen? I was not afraid. But I was worried about home.' A celebratory procession with a band escorted him from Baghkal to his residence. Purnam's wife, Rajani Shaw, expressed immense relief and joy, saying: 'It feels great that he has returned after so many days. We have prepared his favourite food items, luchi-curry, curd-sweets and more.' Purnam's crossing into Pakistan on April 23 took place while he was accompanying farmers near the border. Exhausted, he reportedly fell asleep under a tree and unknowingly drifted into Pakistani territory, where he was detained. After spending 21 days in custody, Purnam's return to India was facilitated through persistent diplomatic and military efforts by the BSF, including regular flag meetings with Pakistan Rangers. He was handed over to Indian authorities at the Attari-Wagah border last Wednesday. Purnam underwent thorough health check-ups and completed necessary government formalities to receive final clearance. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Purnam Shaw returns to Bengal, credits blessings of people for homecoming
Kolkata: Purnam Shaw , who returned to India last week, returned to Bengal on Friday and said blessings of people have brought him back to India. Meanwhile, People of Rishra, Shaw's hometown, family members and West Bengal local administration have arranged a grand welcome for him. 'It is people's blessing that I have been able to return to my country. It is like my second birth,' Purnam Shaw said after reaching Howrah Station in Kolkata today, late afternoon. Ninth day after returning to India, Shaw reached Howrah Station to return to his hometown. He was given a grand welcome at the station by local people. Shaw was draped in a national flag and welcomed with garlands at Howrah Station. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo 'We are happy that Purnam returned today. This is a very happy day for us. We have been waiting for his return for long,' Purnam's mother said. Shaw received a grand welcome and felicitation with a huge procession being organized, giving a festival like hue. Shaw was brought to his house in an open jeep, draped in the national flag and patriotic songs being played. It was arranged by the local district administration and Trinamool Congress . Live Events Purnam's house at Rishra was decorated with flowers by the family to welcome him. "I am happy to meet my parents," Purnam said after his return, eating sweets with the family. 'We will give Purnam a grand welcome. The whole town of Rishra is happy today on his return. People are happy that he is returning home. Chairman of the local municipality has arranged a special celebration to welcome him,' Purnam's wife Rajni Shaw said. Border Security Force (BSF) constable Purnam Kumar Shaw was handed over to India at the Attari border on May 14. As news of Purnam's release reached his home in Bengal's Rishra, his family was in a jubilant mood and said they were relieved over Purnam's return after 22 days. Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw (40) hails from Hooghly in West Bengal. Shaw had inadvertently crossed the international border near Punjab's Ferozepur district on April 23 and was reportedly captured by Pakistani rangers. The detention of Shaw has coincided with the stand-off between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 people were killed on April 22. After Purnam's return, the family had thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for his return.
News18
23-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
BSF Jawan Purnam Shaw Finally Returns Home Days After He Was Detained By Pakistan Rangers
Last Updated: Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack and Operation Sindoor, diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, casting greater uncertainty over Purnam's release. Excitement filled the air after Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Shaw, who was detained by Pakistan, returned to his home in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Friday. Shaw accidentally crossed the international border and returned to his residence in Rishra, where everyone was overjoyed and emotional. He was warmly received by his father, Bholanath Shaw, who embraced his son amidst a large crowd in Howrah in the evening. Purnam was felicitated with a garland and then taken to Rishra in a car, before transferring to an open-top vehicle for the final stretch. A grand procession, led by a marching band, accompanied him to celebrate his homecoming. His home was decked out like a Diwali celebration, with electric lights and oil lamps illuminating the entire house. A sea of neighbours, relatives, and friends had gathered to warmly welcome him back. 'We are overjoyed. He has come back home exactly a month after detention. It's Diwali for us and we feel our Ram has returned," Purnam's wife Rajani Shaw was seen saying to the local media. She had been busy cooking her husband's favourite meal since morning. Amidst the ordeal, she had even travelled to Pathankot to push for his swift and safe return, and had personally spoken with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Purnam had been escorting farmers near the border on April 23. Exhausted during duty, he reportedly fell asleep under a tree, without realising that he had entered Pakistani territory, where he was subsequently detained. However, due to the BSF's consistent efforts through regular flag meetings and communication with their counterparts on the other side, the Pakistan Rangers, the Indian soldier returned to his homeland on May 14. After being repatriated, Purnam underwent comprehensive medical checks to evaluate his physical and mental state and to document alleged abuse during his time in Pakistan. Nine days post-return, he finally reunited with his family at home. First Published: May 23, 2025, 22:54 IST
