The Indian soldier, Chandu Chavan, who strayed across LoC hours after the surgical strike in September last year, has been handed over to Indian authorities by Pakistan at Wagah.
Chavan returned through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border.
The BSF handed him over to the Army which took him to an undisclosed location.
The spokesperson of Pakistan Armed Forces, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, tweeted about his release.
In the press release, Pakistan has claimed that Mr. Chavan had deserted his post “due to his grievances of maltreatment against his commanders.
It also said that the soldier had “willfully crossed the LoC on September 29, 2016, and surrendered himself to the Pakistan Army".
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Chavan, posted with 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had mistakenly crossed the boundary in Kashmir hours after India's surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC.
Chavan's brother Bhushan Chavan, who is also a soldier, said he is thankful to the army for its effort.
"I am thankful to DGMO and army for the efforts they have made. I am never going to forget this. I am also a soldier and will continue to do my duty with full honesty till my last breath," he said.
"I am grateful to the villagers and everybody who prayed for not just my brother but for a soldier of this country," Bhushan said.
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Chavan belongs to Borvihir village in Dhule district of Maharashtra. His grandmother had died of shock following the news of his capture by Pakistani troops.
(With inputs from PTI)
