In the narrow lanes of Rishra’s neighbourhood, the modest home of BSF jawan Purnam Sahu — detained by Pakistan Rangers —echoes with silent prayers and tearful appeals, as his distraught family clings to hope and each other.
“He was serving the nation, and now we don’t even know whether he is safe or not. We have heard that he is in Pakistani custody,” said Bholanath Sahu, the jawan’s father, as neighbours stopped by to offer quiet words of solidarity. He said, “I just want to know where my son is. Is he safe? Is he okay?”
Purnam Sahu, posted with the BSF’s 182nd battalion in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector, was reportedly in uniform and carrying his service rifle when he inadvertently crossed the border on Wednesday.
According to BSF officials, the incident occurred when Sahu, escorting a group of farmers near the border, stepped away to rest under a tree — unknowingly slipping into Pakistani territory. He was quickly taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers.
The Indian and Pakistani border forces held a flag meeting to negotiate Sahu’s release, officials confirmed on Thursday night, but the family has received no further updates.
“My son had returned from leave just three weeks ago,” Bholanath said, his voice quivering.
“Now he is gone again, and we don’t know what will happen next, When he will be back home,” he said.
In their cramped two-room home, Purnam’s wife Rajani has barely spoken since receiving the news.
“He called me Tuesday night,” she said in a hushed tone. “That was the last time I heard his voice,” she said.
The couple’s seven-year-old son has been kept indoors, unaware of the magnitude of the situation.
“How do I explain this to a child?” Rajani asked, breaking down. “He keeps asking when his father will be back,” she said.
The family learned of the incident not from the authorities, but from one of Purnam’s colleagues. “A friend of his called around 8 pm on Wednesday and told us what had happened,” Rajani said. “Since then, we have had no sleep. We just want him back,” she said.
Bholanath recalled trying to call his son earlier that day.
“There was no response. I thought maybe he was busy. But later, his friend told us he wasn’t feeling well and was taking a rest under a tree. That’s when they (Pakistan Rangers) picked him up,” he said.
The timing of the incident has only intensified tensions between the two countries, coming just a day after a deadly militant attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead.
While officials maintain that such accidental crossings are not unheard of and usually resolved through diplomatic channels, the family fears the worst.
Outside the Sahu household, a crowd of concerned locals and television crews has gathered. Inside, the family sits in quiet agony.
“We have just one request to the government. Bring him home. Whatever it takes — just bring him home,” Rajani said. — (PTI)
