Pakistani Couple Found Dead In Rajasthan, Likely Died Of Dehydration
The bodies of the couple were spotted by a local shepherd on Saturday, who then informed the Border Security Force (BSF). Voter IDs found with the bodies showed the couple was from Pakistan's Sindh district. While the man was identified as 17-year-old Ravi Kumar, the woman was identified as 15-year-old Shanti Bai. A mobile phone SIM card of Pakistani origin was also found.
Further, a jerry can was found near the man's mouth, likely pointing to the fact that he couple had travelled with water, but had run out. Their blackened bodies suggest they died of thirst and dehydration, sources said. they added that is likely that the couple left home and tried to cross the border illegally on foot, only to lose their way in the desert.
The woman was wearing red and white bangles in her hands, usually worn by newly-wed brides.
Police sources say they had applied for a visa to travel to India, but the process went into limbo as cross-border tensions escalated following Operation Sindoor.
Dilip Singh Sodha, district coordinator of Hindu Pakistani Displaced Union and Border People's Organisation, said posts on social media received a response that the couple had left from their home in Pakistan on June 21. Their motorcycle was seen near the neighbouring country's Nurpur Dargah and after that there was no contact between them and their families. "It appears the couple was trying to reach India to escape religious persecution in Pakistan, where minorities are targeted. Perhaps they wanted to build a new life in India and live without the fear of persecution," he said.
A Pakistani refugees' organisation tried to find people in Jaislamer who may know the couple or their family, but said they had no close relatives on this side of the border.
A post-mortem of both bodies will be conducted as part of the investigation into the deaths.
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