Aligarh man allegedly entered Pakistan illegally to meet a woman he befriended on Facebook.
He was arrested after locals reportedly suspected his identity and informed Pakistani police.
Family claims he completed his sentence and awaits repatriation from Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail.
A man from Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh allegedly crossed into Pakistan without a visa to meet a woman he had befriended on Facebook, only to be arrested after his identity came under suspicion. Months later, his family claims he remains lodged in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail despite having completed his sentence, and has appealed to the government to facilitate his return.
As India Today reported, Badal Babu, a tailor who worked in Delhi, had developed a friendship with a Pakistani woman, Sana, through Facebook. According to his family, the online friendship gradually turned into a romantic relationship.
His relatives said they last spoke to him on October 30, 2024. They claimed he left all his documents at home before disappearing. It was only after videos and social media posts about him surfaced around 20 months ago that they learnt he had entered Pakistan without a visa and had been arrested.
According to the family, Badal first attempted to travel to Pakistan in August 2024 but failed. They said he later crossed the border illegally and reached Pakistan on October 15, 2024.
Arrest In Pakistan
The family claimed that Sana later refused to marry him. Badal, they said, remained in Pakistan and took up work there while staying in touch with his relatives over phone calls.
His troubles allegedly began on December 27, 2024, when he was grazing goats for his employer. Locals reportedly grew suspicious after noticing his Indian accent and informed the police. He was subsequently arrested and produced before a court on charges of entering Pakistan illegally.
Around the same time, a video purportedly showing Badal outside the court circulated on social media. In the clip, he is heard telling his family not to worry and saying, "I will not return now. Don't worry. I have converted."
According to the family, the video call was arranged by his lawyer before he was sent to jail.
Family Seeks Govt Intervention
Badal is currently lodged in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. His family claims he has completed his sentence but continues to remain in prison as the repatriation process has not been completed.
The family has appealed to the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs to secure his return. They also claimed that the Aligarh administration has processed the necessary paperwork on several occasions and that Aligarh MP Satish Gautam had earlier written to the Ministry regarding the matter.
According to the family, an Indian-origin woman based in London is coordinating with Badal's legal representatives in Pakistan and assisting efforts to secure his release.
