'Missing' Indian youth who had gone to meet his Facebook friend in Pakistan handed over to BSF
By Harpreet Bajwa | Express News Service | Published: 24th April 2018 05:45 PM |
Last Updated: 24th April 2018 05:45 PM | A+A A- |
Image used for representational purpose only. (File photo | AFP)
CHANDIGARH: The missing 24-year old youth, Amarjit Singh, was deported to India today from Pakistan as he had gone to the neighbouring country on the pretext of going on a pilgrimage during Baisakhi celebrations. Singh had, in fact, actually gone to meet his Facebook friend Amir Razzak, who lived in Sheikhupura near Lahore.
He reached the Attari border as Pakistani Rangers handed him over to the BSF officials. Singh had gone to Pakistan on April 12 to attend the festival but failed to show up for his scheduled return along with other Sikh pilgrims on April 21, as he went missing from Nankana sahib and stayed for three days with his friend Razzak. As per Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) which had kept the passports of all the devotees who had gone there in the 1,700 strong Jatha (group).
Singh, a resident of Niranjanpur village near Amritsar reportedly told Razzak that he had a one and half month Pakistani visa, following the media reports about Singh having gone missing. The fact came to light that Singh is missing when the entourage he was part of embarked upon the return journey. As he didn’t appear to claim his passport then the ETPB officials started searching him. Razzak contacted the ETPB after which officials took Singh into protective custody. Singh’s expired on April 21, the last day of the pilgrimage.
In the video clip which has gone viral, he acknowledges that he came in contact with Razzak around six months ago when he was in Malaysia. "I contacted Razzak and told him about my Pakistan visit. I asked him how far was Sheikhupura and when he told me that it was not far, I decided to see him," he said.
His disappearance came at the heels of another pilgrim Kiran Bala, who also went missing and married Pakistani national Mohammad Azam and applied for Pakistani citizenship, as she reportedly embraced Islam. Both Singh and Bala had gone to Pakistan on a pilgrimage on April 12 and both went missing on April 16.
These two were part of the 1,700 group (Jatha) of pilgrims who had gone to Pakistan to visit Sikh shrines…Panja Sahib Gurdwara and Nankana Sahib the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev, on the occasion of Baisakhi on April 13.
