‘No Bathroom Breaks, No Sleep’: BSF Jawan Recounts 21-Day Ordeal in Pakistan

BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw’s pregnant wife, Rajani, and his family breathed a sigh of relief as he was released from the custody of Pakistani Rangers and returned to India on May 14.

For 21 days, Shaw and his family lived in uncertainty, anxious about whether they would ever see him again.

According to news reports, Shaw had inadvertently crossed the International Border (IB) in Punjab while escorting farmers and looking for shelter under a tree. He was arrested by Pakistani Rangers on April 23, a day after the horrific Pahalgam terror attack in the Baisaran Valley of Kashmir.

As tensions between India and Pakistan intensified, the BSF personnel’s return was delayed. Multiple rounds of negotiations took place between Indian and Pakistani officials. Four days after both countries agreed to pause military operations along the IB and the Line of Control (LoC) on May 10, Shaw was released. He arrived at the Wagah-Attari Border on May 14 (Wednesday).

After returning to India, Shaw called his wife and described the 21-day harrowing ordeal he experienced in the custody of Pakistani Rangers. He was reportedly treated as a spy rather than as a security personnel. Shaw told his wife that while he was given food regularly, he was not allowed to brush his teeth, was denied bathroom breaks, and was interrogated at night. He was reportedly questioned about BSF deployments along the border and asked for information about senior officers posted along the IB. The Pakistani officials also sought contact details, but as Shaw was not carrying a mobile phone – as per BSF protocol – he could not provide any numbers.

Rajani informed the media that her husband was not physically tortured, but he was mentally exhausted. She said Shaw sounded extremely tired and sleep-deprived.

The 40-year-old BSF jawan was reportedly moved across three undisclosed locations—one of which he believes was near an airbase. He was also reportedly held in a jail cell. Throughout the 21 days, he was mostly blindfolded.

A native of West Bengal’s Hooghly district, Shaw serves in the 24th Battalion of the BSF. He was recently posted to the Ferozepur sector in Punjab, which borders Pakistan.

Following her husband’s return, Rajani thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Despite the harrowing experience, the family believes Shaw should continue serving the country.