Who is Purnam Kumar Shaw? BSF jawan released by Pakistan Rangers after crossing international border

NEW DELHI: BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw was released by Pakistan Rangers and returned to India on Wednesday morning after being held for around three weeks.The handover occurred at the Joint Check Post in Attari, Amritsar, and proceeded smoothly according to standard procedures, as confirmed by the Border Security Force (Punjab Frontier).Who is Purnam Kumar Shaw?Purnam Shaw, a jawan of the Border Security Force (BSF) from the 182nd battalion, hails from Rishra in West Bengal's Hooghly district.Shaw is married to Rajani, who is pregnant with their second child.Shaw was recently deployed in Ferozepur sector in Punjab, which lies along the India-Pakistan border.Being new to the sensitive border posting, Shaw was reportedly unfamiliar with the precise territorial markers in the region.What happened on April 23On April 23, while on duty, Shaw inadvertently crossed the International Border and was subsequently taken into custody by the Pakistan Rangers. Shaw was escorting farmers along the border when he accidentally strayed into Pakistani territory while seeking shade under a tree.The area, part of the "zero line" near the International Border, allows farming under BSF supervision, with jawans deployed to assist and monitor farming activities.The Pakistan Rangers confirmed Shaw’s detention and reportedly assured their BSF counterparts of his eventual return. A photograph released by Pakistani authorities showed Shaw blindfolded after his detention.Initial attempts to negotiate his release occurred during flag meetings between the military forces of India and Pakistan.These discussions were suspended shortly before India conducted retaliatory strikes against terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on 22 April.The Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier oversees the protection of a 553-km stretch along the India-Pakistan border within the state. This includes 518km of land border and 33km along waterways. Several BSF battalions, along with a specialised water wing unit, artillery divisions, and additional security assets, are deployed in this region to counter illegal border crossings, contraband smuggling.