Purnam Kumar Shaw, a Border Security Force (BSF) personnel who was detained by Pakistan Rangers after inadvertently crossing the International Border last month, was handed over to Indian authorities on Wednesday, May 14, at the Attari check post.
“Today BSF Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who had been in the custody of Pakistan Rangers since 23 April 2025, was handed over to India at about 1030 hours through the Joint Check Post Attari, Amritsar. The handover was conducted peacefully and in accordance with established protocols,” the Border Security Force said in a statement.
The 40-year-old, posted in Punjab’s Firozpur sector, accidentally crossed into Pakistani territory on April 23 – just a day after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. The heightened border tensions following the attack contributed to the delay in his return.
Shaw, who has served in the BSF for 17 years, hails from Hooghly district in West Bengal. At the time of crossing, he was in full uniform and carrying his service rifle. Such incidents, where BSF personnel inadvertently stray across the border during routine patrols, are not uncommon and are generally resolved through flag meetings between the two sides.
The BSF is responsible for guarding the 3,323-km-long India-Pakistan border stretching from Jammu and Kashmir to Gujarat.
