Over one-and-a-half month after 23-year-old Sharandeep Singh from Jalandhar’s Shahkot went missing, he has been found in Pakistan Rangers’ custody, leaving the Indian central security and intelligence agencies in a tizzy.
The matter came to light after Sharandeep’s handcuffed picture in the custody of Pakistan Rangers went viral on December 21. Sharandeep’s father Satnam Singh said they came to know that he was in Pakistan after officials of the central intelligence agencies visited the family in Bhoyepur village of Shahkot sub-division on December 21. “Officials had come for Sharandeep’s identification. They also probed about his track record,” said his father.
Satnam Singh said Sharandeep left the house along with his friend Mandeep Singh on November 2 in a state of intoxication. A few days later, Mandeep came with Sharandeep’s phone to hand it over to the family, claiming that Sharandeep had told him that he would return later.
“Sharandeep was addicted to chitta (heroin). He usually remained out of the house for days. On November 7, we filed a complaint as he didn’t return for days,” he said.
According to information, Sharandeep was facing two assault cases. He was released on bail from Kapurthala jail on October 17 in an assault case registered at the Shahkot police station.
It is said that Sharandeep was caught by Pakistan Rangers as he strayed into Kasur district and was handed over to the Ganda Singh police station there. A senior official privy to the investigation said even their counterparts in Pakistan didn’t share any information about Sharandeep. “Agencies are presuming that Sharandeep might have crossed the border illegally in the first week of November and exploited the Ravi route in Gurdaspur district after it faced major damages due to floods in the region in August. There is no word on his release as yet,” he said.
The official further said that Sharandeep was desperate to go abroad after his brother entered the United States through a donkey route. “As per the statements of the family and villagers, Sharandeep was deported twice, first from Japan in 2022 and from Greece in 2023,” he added.
Also Read: Who is Sarabjit Kaur? Indian woman who married Pakistani man after going on pilgrimage
Jalandhar’s senior superintendent of police Harvinder Singh Virk said they have provided all the required information about Sharandeep to the concerned authorities. “We have initiated a probe and have gathered details about his track record, besides recording detailed statements of his family member,” SSP Virk said.