Andhra techie detained near Pak border in Rajasthan; agencies probe his motive
Prashant Vedam of Visakhapatnam, with an alleged history of border violations, told security agencies that he was attempting to cross over to meet a woman he fell in love with online
Bikaner: A BTech graduate from Andhra Pradesh was detained near the India–Pakistan border in Bikaner’s Khajuwala sector while trying to cross over to Pakistan on Friday, police said.
The resident of Visakhapatnam, with an alleged history of border violations, told security agencies that he was attempting to cross over to meet a woman he fell in love with online.
According to defence officials, Prashant Vedam had got off a bus in Khajuwala on Friday afternoon and started walking toward the International Border when soldiers near Chak 17 of an Army camp found his behaviour suspicious and stopped him.
After briefly questioning him, they handed him over to the Khajuwala police.
Khajuwala police circle officer Amarjeet Chawla said, “During interrogation, Prashant said he was going to Pakistan to meet his girlfriend Pravita, who lives in Rawalpindi.”
“He claimed they met on social media almost ten years ago and insisted that love was the only reason he tried to cross the border,” Chawla added.
Prashant had allegedly crossed the international border into Pakistan in April 2017, investigating officers said, adding that he was in a Pakistani prison and was handed over to Indian authorities in 2021.
“Prashant is a BTech graduate and has a history of working abroad, including in Africa and China,” the officers said.
Police said Prashant is now being kept at a safe house in Khajuwala, where different intelligence agencies are questioning him together to check if it is a case of cross-border espionage.
Prashant’s family in Andhra Pradesh has been informed, and his brother has reportedly left for Khajuwala to assist authorities, the officer said.
