CHANDIGARH: The 23-year-old Amritpal Singh of Khaire ke Uttar village in Punjab’s Fazilka district, who has been missing for the last six days, is suspected to have inadvertently crossed over into Pakistan.
Singh had gone to till his fields across the fence on the Indo-Pak international border but did not return.
Singh, who owns land in Rana Panjgrain village, is believed to have mistakenly crossed the border. Along with other farmers, he used to cross the gate at the fence on the Indian side, manned by BSF personnel, to work on his land daily.
On the morning of June 21, Singh went to his fields and signed the register maintained by the BSF while crossing the gate but never returned.
Sources said that the Station House Officer of Amir Khas Police Station received a letter from the company commandant of the 160 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF). The letter stated that Singh had gone beyond the fence near Border Outpost Rana for routine agricultural work but did not return by the time the gates were to be closed.
Footprints leading towards Pakistan were found, suggesting a possible inadvertent border crossing. The BSF requested the police to register a First Information Report (FIR).
A senior police officer confirmed that an FIR has been registered and that the police are conducting searches within their jurisdiction. However, if Singh has indeed crossed into Pakistan, only the BSF can take up the matter with their counterparts across the border.
Singh’s father, Jugraj Singh, said his son was married and has a three-month-old daughter. He went across the fence around noon on his bike to work in the fields but disappeared in the evening. The family owns about eight acres of land in the area. His father added that Amritpal had been somewhat depressed recently but was regularly working in the fields.
He also said the BSF extended full support in locating his son, even opening the frisking gate on the fence before dusk that day. BSF officials later held a flag meeting with the Pakistan Rangers, who reportedly said they could not find anyone in their territory, despite the presence of footprints.
Singh’s parents have now sought the intervention of senior officials and the Ministry of Home Affairs to help bring their son back from Pakistan.