Indian man jailed for 17 years in Pakistan returns home on Diwali

Shyamsundar Das of Supaul, Bihar, was lodged in a Pakistani jail for 17 years. He, along with his five companions, had 'unintentionally' crossed over into Pakistan territory from Amritsar in 2005.

Supaul (Bihar): A prisoner who was lodged in a Pakistan jail for 17 years returned and reunited with his family in Bihar on the day of Diwali on Monday. According to sources, Lal Shyamsunder Das, son of Bhagwan Das, a resident of Bhawanipur South Panchayat had gone to Punjab along with some of his companions in 2005 to earn his livelihood.

Along with his five companions, he 'unintentionally' reached Pakistan by crossing the border of Pakistan from Amritsar. When the Pakistan police caught them without any documents, they arrested them and kept them in judicial custody.

Five of those arrested with him were released after six months on the basis of interrogation and other evidence and sent to India by Pakistan Police. As Shyamsundar's mental condition was not well, he could not give any correct information.

As a result, he had to spend 17 years in a Pakistani jail. The Pakistan Embassy demanded proof of Shyamsundar being Indian from the Indian Embassy as well. But due to a lack of information about his exact whereabouts, he spent 17 years in jail.

Shyam's father, Bhagwan Das said, "In 2021, we got the news of Shyamsundar being in Pakistan jail. Since then, we kept on contacting Pratapganj police station and pleaded for help to bring him back from Pakistan."

Bhagwan Das provided all the evidence of Shyamsundar being an Indian to the police which was sent to the Indian Embassy last year by the Pratapganj SHO. On the basis of it, the Pakistan government released Shyamsundar on September 29 this year.

After being released, the Indian Red Cross Society kept Shyam under the supervision of Punjab Police at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. The Punjab Police informed the Supaul Superintendent of Police about Shyamsundar coming to India and being kept in Guru Nanak Dev Hospital for treatment.

Following it, Assistant Sub Inspector Munna Kumar and constable Champu Kumar were deputed and sent to Amritsar to bring Shyam Sundar from Punjab. Shyam was finally brought back on October 24 as his family celebrated the happiest Diwali of their lives.