BSF hands back Pakistani national

Though people in the border belt of Punjab are upset over the mysterious death of Indian prisoner Kirpal Singh in a jail in Pakistan's Lahore, the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities on Friday handed back to Pakistani authorities a man who had inadvertently crossed into Indian territory.

The Pakistani national, Mohammed Waqas Akram, was apprehended by BSF troopers from the area Border out Post (BoP) Nirmal in Punjab's Abohar sector on Thursday.

Akram was identified as resident of Pati Chak village in Pakistan's Bhawalnagar district, BSF DIG R.S. Kataria said.

"During questioning, it came to notice that the individual had crossed over to Indian territory inadvertently. Nothing objectionable was recovered from his possession," he said.

The BSF contacted their Pakistani counterparts, Pakistan Rangers, on Froday and handed over the Pakistani national back on humanitarian grounds.

Indian prisoner Kirpal Singh, 54, who was arrested in Pakistan in 1992, had died in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat prison on Monday.

While Pakistani authorities, who had labelled him as a spy and got him convicted for terror attacks inside Pakistan, attributed his death to heart attack, his family has alleged that he had crossed into Pakistan inadvertently and was murdered in the prison.

Kirpal's sister Jagir Kaur met union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday in New Delhi to seek return of his body. She had met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also on Thursday.