Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is learnt to have spoken over the telephone to Rajni Shaw, the wife of BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw who has been in Pakistani custody since April 23.
Rajni said that the chief minister told her that she was doing her best to ensure the jawan’s prompt release.
“Didi called me up today (Sunday) and said she had spoken to top BSF officers regarding the release of my husband from Pakistani custody. She said there would be a meeting about his release tomorrow (Monday),” said Rajni, who is three months pregnant and the mother of an eight-year-old son, at her Rishra home.
A family member said Mamata, who called on Rajni’s mobile phone, spoke to her for about seven minutes.
Rajni Shaw. File picture
“She asked me about my health and told me to contact local (Serampore) MP Kalyan Banerjee if I needed any immediate assistance, particularly medical help. I am very happy that she personally called me up and spoke like a family member,” Rajni added.
A resident of Rishra in Hooghly, Purnam, 37, a head constable with the BSF’s 182nd battalion, “inadvertently” crossed the international border near Firozpur on April 23 and was immediately taken into custody by the Pakistan Rangers. Besides his wife and son, he also has elderly parents, Bholanath and Debanti.
“It’s been around 20 days, and we still have no news about Purnam. His wife is anxious and his parents are very ill. We don’t know what will happen if he isn’t released soon,” said another family member.
A source said the BSF had held several flag meetings with the Pakistan Rangers before Operation Sindoor began, but there is still no clarity on when Purnam might be released.
Rajni said she had spoken to senior BSF officials multiple times but none could give her a clear update on her husband’s whereabouts or condition in Pakistan.
TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee spoke to BSF director-general Daljit Chawdhary on Saturday, requesting him to expedite the process for the jawan’s release, citing the ceasefire declared by both countries.
He had also contacted Chawdhary earlier on April 26 with the same request.
“Since a ceasefire is currently in place between India and Pakistan, immediate steps must be taken to secure the release of the individual who has been detained by the Pakistan Army for nearly twenty days,” the Serampore MP wrote on X on Saturday.
On Sunday, the MP again took to his X handle: “My thoughts are especially with Poornam Shaw, the BSF jawan detained by the Pakistan Army. It has been over twenty days, and despite repeated efforts to reach out to the office of Hon’ble Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, I have received no response. Last night, I was contacted by an official from the Prime Minister’s Office, who advised me to convey my message about Poornam directly to the Hon’ble Prime Minister. I am grateful that the Director General of the BSF has assured me that the matter will be escalated to senior authorities and that all possible efforts will be made. The people of Serampore constituency are anxiously awaiting Poornam’s safe return. We sincerely hope that the Hon’ble Prime Minister and all responsible government officials will take swift and decisive action to bring him home.”
Chief secretary alert
Chief secretary Manoj Kumar Pant conducted a meeting on Sunday morning with district magistrates and police superintendents in all Bengal districts. He directed them to continue vigilance and keep all arrangements ready on the ground, in line with Union home ministry directives in the wake of the India-Pakistan conflict.
A source said Pant instructed all districts — especially those bordering Bangladesh — to prepare and activate civil defence teams and systems. Additional focus has been placed on the Nepal border and key corridors in north Bengal. A senior official noted that Pant ordered the activation of civil defence sirens in all districts for emergency situations.
“Though a ceasefire has been announced, the government does not want to weaken security measures on the eastern front, particularly concerning Bangladesh,” said a senior official.
