BSF Jawan Purnam Kumar Sahu Returns Home After Detention by Pakistan Rangers

 Amritsar, May 14 — In a welcome development for the family of Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Sahu, the soldier returned to Indian soil on Wednesday morning after being held in custody by Pakistan Rangers for over three weeks. Sahu had inadvertently crossed the international border on April 23 during a patrol operation in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector.

The handover took place at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post around 10:30 a.m., under mutually agreed military protocols. Officials confirmed that the repatriation was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.

Sahu’s return follows a significant diplomatic thaw between India and Pakistan, with both nations reaching an understanding on May 10 to de-escalate tensions along the border. The agreement came in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a precise Indian military operation launched on May 7 targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan’s subsequent retaliation had led to heightened alert levels on both sides.

The jawan’s prolonged detention had caused considerable distress to his family. His wife, Rajni Sahu, had earlier travelled to Ferozepur to meet senior BSF officials, who assured her that every effort was being made to secure his release. Despite multiple rounds of flag meetings between BSF and Pakistan Rangers, early attempts to repatriate Sahu were met with the standard response from Pakistani counterparts: “We are waiting for directions from the higher-ups.”

A breakthrough only emerged after the May 10 understanding was reached. Subsequently, Sahu was released from custody and allowed to return to India, crossing the border on foot and rejoining his compatriots at the Attari border.

“BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Sahu, who had been in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since April 23, was handed over to Indian authorities at approximately 10:30 a.m. today. The transfer was executed smoothly, adhering to established military procedures,” a BSF spokesperson said.

Accidental border crossings by military personnel or civilians, though infrequent, are not unprecedented and are typically resolved through established mechanisms of military communication. However, Sahu’s detention coincided with a period of heightened hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, including that of a Nepali national.

India’s Operation Sindoor, a swift and targeted retaliation, successfully neutralized nine terror camps across Pakistan and PoK without crossing the Line of Control or the international border. In response, Pakistan launched strikes aimed at civilian areas and military positions within Indian territory.

India countered with a calibrated and powerful response, striking 11 Pakistani Air Force installations and reportedly inflicting damage on 20% of Pakistan’s air defence infrastructure.

Sahu’s safe return is being seen not only as a moment of relief for his family but also as a potential signal of easing military hostilities, at least temporarily, between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.