UP: Banda man missing for 12 yrs handed over by Pakistan

Ram Bahadur, now 38 years old, was arrested in Pakistan for allegedly not carrying valid documents and was lodged in Lahore jail, said sources. His family, however, said that they have no clue how Bahadur reached Pakistan.

A man from Banda district, who was missing for the last 12 years after he went to Kashmir for work, was handed over to the Indian authorities by Pakistan last week after he completed his prison sentence there, said officials.

Ram Bahadur, now 38 years old, was arrested in Pakistan for allegedly not carrying valid documents and was lodged in Lahore jail, said sources. His family, however, said that they have no clue how Bahadur reached Pakistan.

Banda district administration has now sent a team to Amritsar to bring back Ram Bahadur, who is currently in the custody of Amritsar district administration.

“Ram Bahadur appears to be unstable and is not responding to any questions,” said Nayab Tehsildar Abhinav Tiwari, who along with Sub-Inspector Sudhir Chaurasia, met Ram Bahadur at a guest house in Amritsar.

“Ram Bahadur was carrying temporary passport of Pakistan with him when he was sent back to India. Passport carries general details of Ram Bahadur, his name, age and his home town,” said Tiwari.

Last week, the Amritsar district administration contacted its counterparts in Banda to trace Ram Bahadur’s family. Three days ago, the Banda district administration traced Ram Bahadur’s family at Pachokar village.

Additional District Magistrate (Banda) Santosh Kumar Singh said the Amritsar district administration asked them to send a team to take Ram Bahadur’s custody, adding that before sending a team to Amritsar, they made video call arrangements so that Ram Bahadur’s family could ensure he was the same person as claimed.

Ram Bahadur’s family included his parents – father Gilla Prajapati and mother Kusuma Devi — and younger brother Maiku Prajapati, who is married and have three children. Ram Bahadur, who is illiterate, is unmarried.

Former pradhan of Pachokar village, Luvkush Kumar Tripathi, said that around 12 years ago Ram Bahadur left home for work and never returned. Few days after Ram Bahadur left home, the family came to know through locals that he was in Kashmir doing odd jobs.
After that, the family received no information of his whereabouts.

“In April this year, a police team of local intelligence department visited Ram Bahadur’s house and met his parents. The officer told the family that Ram Bahadur is lodged in a jail in Pakistan and they have come for his residential verification. No one has any idea how Ram Bahadur reached Pakistan,” said Tripathi.

Meanwhile, Nayab Tehsildar Abhinav Tiwari said they would leave for Banda on Wednesday after completing all formalities.

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