BSF jawan detained by Pak was verbally abused, kept blindfolded: Report

The Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who was detained by Pakistani Rangers, after inadvertently entering Pakistani territory on April 23, was subjected to verbal abuse and deprived of sleep by the Pakistani authorities during the 21 days he spent into their custody, BSF sources said.

The BSF constable, Purnam Kumar Shaw, although not physically tortured, was mostly kept blindfolded and not allowed to brush his teeth, BSF sources said as quoted by India Today.

Kept mostly blindfolded

Shaw, who inadvertently entered Pakistani territory while he was on duty in the Ferozepur sector on April 23, belongs to the 24th BSF battalion. During the time he spent in Pakistani custody, Shaw was reportedly taken to three undisclosed locations in the neighbouring country, including one near an airbase as he heard sounds of aircraft.

BSF sources said that during transit, Shaw was kept mostly blindfolded, adding that in one location he was lodged in a jail cell.

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Pak sought BSF deployment info

According to the India Today report, Shaw was interrogated by Pakistani officials in civil clothes regarding BSF deployment at the India-Pakistan border. The Pakistani officials not only sought details about senior BSF officers posted at the international border but also asked Shaw to provide their phone numbers.

But since Shaw was not carrying his cell phone at the time of his arrested by Pakistani Rangers, as per BSF rules, he was unable to provide the numbers.

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In stable condition

After the Pakistani authorities handed Shaw over to the BSF, he underwent a comprehensive debriefing before he was allowed to speak to his family. BSF sources said that currently Shaw was in a stable mental and physical condition. They also said that the clothes he wore while in Pakistani custody were discarded after thorough inspection.

The BSF jawan, hailing from the Hooghly district of West Bengal, was released by the Pakistani authorities, three days after the ceasefire between Indian and Pakistan. He was handed over to the BSF at the around 10:30 am at the Joint Check Post in Attari, Amritsar.

"Today at 1030 hrs, Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw has been taken back from Pakistan by the BSF at the Attari-Wagha border. Constable Purnam Kumar Shaw had inadvertently crossed over to Pakistani territory while on operational duty in the area of Ferozepur sector on 23rd April 2025 around 1150 hrs and was detained by Pak Rangers,” the BSF said in a statement.