Purnam Kumar Shaw, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who was recently released by Pakistan, spent three difficult weeks in their custody.
He accidentally crossed the international border in Punjab on April 23 while looking for shade under a tree. Pakistani Rangers arrested him soon after, just a day after the terror attack in Pahalgam, according to a report by Times of India.
Because of the already tense relations between India and Pakistan, bringing him back was not easy. Officials from both countries held several rounds of talks, and his return remained uncertain for many days.
BSF Jawan Returns Home After 3 Weeks in Pakistan Custody
Finally, on May 10, both countries agreed to pause military actions along the International Border and the Line of Control. This led to a breakthrough. Four days later, Shaw was released and returned to India on Wednesday, bringing huge relief to his family.
Soon after coming back, Shaw spoke to his family and told them about the tough time he had during his stay in custody.
‘Treated like a spy, questioned again and again’
Shaw told his wife, Rajani, that although he was not physically hurt while in Pakistan, he went through a lot of mental stress. He was not allowed to use the bathroom or sleep properly and faced other harsh treatment.
“He was served food regularly. But they did not allow him to brush his teeth. When he spoke, he sounded extremely tired and said he was sleep-deprived,” Rajani said to The Times of India
During the 21 days he was held in Pakistan, 40-year-old Shaw told his wife that he was treated more like a spy than a BSF jawan. He was taken to three secret locations, one of them, he thinks, was near an airbase because he could hear planes flying above. At one point, he was also kept in a jail cell.
Shaw said that during most of these moves, he was kept blindfolded.
About Purnam Kumar Shaw
Shaw is from Hooghly district in West Bengal. He works in the 24th Battalion of the BSF (Border Security Force). Recently, he was sent to the Ferozepur area in Punjab, which is near the border with Pakistan. While helping farmers near the border, he accidentally crossed into Pakistan because he was looking for shelter.
The BSF’s Punjab Frontier watches over 553 kilometers of the border between India and Pakistan. This includes 518 kilometers of land and 33 kilometers along rivers and other water areas.
Shaw was formally questioned after he came back. He is said to be healthy and doing fine, according to India Today. Following the rules, the clothes he wore while in Pakistan were checked and then thrown away.
Today BSF Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who had been in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since 23 April 2025, was handed over to India: BSF
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2025
Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistan territory, while on operational duty in area of Ferozepur sector on 23rd… pic.twitter.com/PnHB6wl69V
Rajani, who is pregnant, went to Ferozepur with her young son and other family members to meet the officer in charge of Shaw’s unit. She was told that talks were happening, but the situation got worse the next day when India carried out air strikes on terror camps across the border called Operation Sindoor.
During this stressful time, Rajani kept watching the news, hoping for good news.
Wife of BSF jawan Purnam Shaw returned from Pakistan after 20 days of captivity
— Naveen Kapoor (@IamNaveenKapoor) May 14, 2025
She says @narendramodi he to sab possible he
She also praised WB CM pic.twitter.com/7Rb8znEmzh
