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Jalandhar man swept into Pakistan during 2023 floods repatriated
All six, including Gurmeej, Shinder Singh, Juginder Singh and Vishal, hailing from Ferozepur, Gurvinder Singh from Ludhiana and Ratanpal, have been repatriated from Pakistan on February 1.
Ratanpal Singh, 36, from Jalandhar’s Khaire village, who was swept away to Pakistan due to strong currents of the Sutlej river during the 2023 floods, returned home after spending over 2.5 years in Lahore prison.
He was among six other Indian youths who had inadvertently crossed over into Pakistan and were arrested by Rangers during the 2023 floods, which wreaked havoc in Ferozepur villages, situated near the international border.
In 2023, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, claimed that the Rangers had detained six Indians, who were allegedly trying to smuggle ‘narcotics, weapons and ammunition’ into the country between July 29 and August 3.
All six, including Gurmeej, Shinder Singh, Juginder Singh and Vishal, hailing from Ferozepur, Gurvinder Singh from Ludhiana and Ratanpal, have been repatriated from Pakistan on February 1.
Ratanpal said he left for Chandiwala village in Ferozepur district to help his friend Gurvinder Singh’s relatives move their belongings to a safer place on July 27, 2023.
“My friend Gurvinder and I were swept away by the Sutlej River. We were trying to save livestock in flood-hit Chandiwal village. We only came to know that we had crossed the border when the Pakistan Rangers arrested us. We met others in the Rangers’ custody,” Ratanpal said.
Ratanpal, who worked as a labourer, said the Pakistan Rangers accused them of smuggling drugs and tortured them for nearly a month.
“No recovery of drugs was made from our possession, yet we were subjected to third-degree torture. We were blindfolded and given electric shocks. Later, we were shifted to Lahore’s high-security jail,” he said.
The Indian youths were sentenced to one year’s imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000 in 2024.
“However, even after completing our term, we were not released before we got a message in December 2025 that our repatriation files had been approved by the concerned authorities,” he said.
The trauma has taken a heavy toll on my mental health, he added.
Even after coming back, I have been called by central agencies and the Punjab Police on a daily basis to record my statements about my purpose of visiting Pakistan or to know whether I came in contact with the Pakistan Army.
