JOIN USAfter spending over 48 hours in the custody of Pakistan Rangers, a BSF jawan who was captured when he was swept into their territory by strong currents of the Chenab river, was on Friday handed over to India.
The 30-year-old trooper, Satyasheel Yadav, was repatriated after Border Security Force (BSF) officials met the commanders of the Pakistan Rangers at the zero line at Octroi borderpost along the International Border (IB) in R S Pura sector of Jammu district after some procedural delay.
“They (Rangers) treated him (Yadav) very well throughout their custody. We are grateful to them. The Pak authorities interrogated our jawan, which I think is not uncommon with any security force when they find an unauthorised entry in their area,” said BSF Director General D K Pathak, who flew in from Delhi for this specific purpose. Pathak said the return of Yadav, a constable of the 33rd battalion of the force deployed to guard the frontier, was achieved in “record time”.
BSF officials said Yadav was handed over to them at 4:18 pm near border pillar 918 along the IB in Jammu and Kashmir. “He said he was feeling normal and that he was happy to be back,” an official who was part of the deliberations said.
He will be administered a de-briefing session by the intelligence wings of the BSF and central security agencies after sometime, the official said.
Looking tired, the trooper, dressed in his dark green combat fatigue, walked on to Indian soil flanked by his Commandant Viresh Kumar and two other officers who met a three-member Rangers team led by their Wing Commander rank officer.