NEW DELHI: Under instruction from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Border Security Force (BSF) has lodged a protest with Pakistan Rangers on the issue apprehension of a jawan a week back after he had mistakenly crossed over to the Pakistani side along the international border in Punjab, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the officials, in case such an incident had occurred earlier, the matter would have been resolved quickly, but this time the Pakistan remained "non-committal" on the whereabouts and the date of return of the jawan.
This has happened because of the rising India-Pakistan tensions after the Pahalgam attack, they added.
The BSF has also instituted an inquiry into the incident, where Constable PK Shahu of the 24th battalion was caught by the Pakistan Rangers on April 23 after the jawan inadvertently crossed the IB along the Ferozepur district.
So far the two border guarding forces held four flag meetings, but there is no final word on his return and the protest note has been given to the sector commander of the Pakistan Rangers by the BSF, they said.
The officials said that the jawan is understood to have been moved to a Pakistan Rangers' base along the Lahore-Amritsar sector and may be handed over to the BSF soon, as the neighbouring country's border guarding forces has maintained a stoic silence and have neither issued a protest note nor communicated about his condition.
Social media handles from Pakistan had issued pictures of Shahu last week where he was seen blindfolded and sitting in a vehicle and standing under a tree with his rifle, magazine with bullets, belt and other belongings kept on the ground, they said
The jawan was part of the 'Kisan Guard' that was deployed for the protection of Indian farmers who till their land near the border fence and the trooper apparently "miscalculated" the alignment of the IB and stepped on the other side to rest under a nearby tree from where he was apprehended by the Rangers, the officials said.
Meanwhile, according to reports Shahu's pregnant wife and son reached Punjab on Monday and met senior officers of his unit, who assured her that he would be back soon, they said.
Sahu hails from Rishra in Hooghly district of West Bengal.