BSF jawan detained by Pakistan handed over to India

NEW DELHI: BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw (40) detained by Pakistan has been handed over to India. Shaw, who was detained by Pakistan Rangers after he accidentally crossed the international border last month, was handed over to India at the Attari border today.

'BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who was in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since April 23, 2025, was handed over to India at the Attari border in Amritsar. The handover was peaceful as per protocols,' the BSF said in a statement.

The BSF personnel posted in Punjab’s Firozpur, accidentally crossed the border a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. BSF jawans guard the 3,323-km-long India-Pakistan border from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat. It is common for BSF personnel to accidentally cross the border while patrolling.

When this happens, it is usually resolved through a flag meeting. Due to the tense situation on the border, Pakistan did not respond to India's requests to hold such a meeting for his release. Purnam is a native of Hooghly in West Bengal. His pregnant wife Rajni had repeatedly requested the central government to release the jawan. A team of BSF officials had visited Shaw's house and informed his family that steps were being taken for his release.