KANPUR: At 62, Kanpur native
Shamshuddin had almost given up hope of ever seeing his family again after being convicted of being an “Indian spy” in Pakistan and jailed in
Karachi. Eight years later, he is back home, but his homecoming will be complete only on Monday when he steps out of
mandatory Covid-19 quarantine.
Shamshuddin, a resident of Beri Kak Hata in
Kanghi Mohal under Bajaria police station, had crossed the Attari-Wagah border on October 26 after Pakistan accepted his plea to be reunited with his family before his death. A Pakistan court had sentenced Shamshuddin to eight years in prison in 2012 for espionage and possession of a
fake passport.
An expert in making shoe uppers, he had left Kanpur for Delhi in search of employment in 1992, only to be misled by a Pakistan-based relative, who illegally took him along to that country by faking documents. In 2012, Shamshuddin was nabbed by an intelligence agency when he tried to get his passport renewed to travel back to India. The Pakistan authorities accused Shamshuddin of being an Indian spy who had entered the country for “anti-national” activities.
Shamshuddin’s brother Faheemuddin said he spoke to his elder sibling a couple of days ago. “He (Shamshuddin) shared his bitter experience in Pakisan and said he was treated harshly in jail. He was put in a dark room, where he spent sleepless nights without sufficient food.”
Sisamau circle officer Tripurari Pandey said Shamshuddin would be released from the quarantine centre in
Punjab on Monday and was expected in his hometown on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Shamshuddin’s 13-year-old daughter Azra, who was a toddler when she last saw her father, said she couldn't wait to meet her “Abbu”.