BSF jawan treated like a spy by Pakistan, was not allowed to brush: Report

Hindustan Times

16-05-2025

Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who recently returned to India from Pakistan, was reportedly deprived of sleep and interrogated like a spy during his custody of over three weeks,.
Shaw was apprehended by Pakistani forces on April 23 after he crossed the international boundary inadvertently while escorting a group of local farmers across the border fence in Ferozepur sector. He was released on April 23 after the BSF consistently raised the issue of his custody during flag meetings with their Pakistani counterparts.
A Times of India report on Friday carried details of Shaw's conversation with his pregnant wife Rajani on Wednesday. The jawan shared that he was not physically tortured but was interrogated every night which drained him mentally, the report said.
During his over three week long custody, Shaw was treated like a spy rather than a soldier and was shifted to three different locations. Rajani also learnt that one of the locations looked like an airbase as Shaw reportedly heard sounds of aircraft movement, the report said.
Shaw's wife also noted that her husband was served food regularly but was not allowed to brush his teeth. 'When he spoke, he sounded extremely tired and said he was sleep-deprived,' she was quoted in the report.
Also read | After 20 days, Pak hands over BSF jawan, wife says sindoor safe thanks to PM Modi
Shaw, a resident of Hooghly in West Bengal, who was posted with an ad-hoc team at the Indo-Punjab border since April 10, was wearing his uniform and on duty armed with his G2 service rifle when he inadvertently crossed the border.
The jawan's wife had expressed relief, thanking prime minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for ensuring Shaw's return. 'Modi ji has not just worked for national pride but also to protect the sindoor of every Indian woman. Because of him, my sindoor is safe, and my husband has come back,' she had said.