UP man crosses Pak border to marry Facebook friend, lands in jail
text_fields
Aligarh: A 30-year-old Indian man, Badal Babu from Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, found himself in a Pakistani jail after illegally crossing the border to meet a woman he met on Facebook and hoped to marry. His daring journey to Pakistan ended in arrest, and the woman, identified as Sana Rani, 21, reportedly told the local police that she was not interested in marrying him.
Babu, who had been in an online relationship with Rani for over two years, crossed into Pakistan’s Punjab province last week, heading to Mandi Bahauddin district, around 240 kilometers from Lahore. He was arrested in Rani’s village, Maung, by the local authorities for illegal border crossing.
The police recorded Rani’s statement, in which she denied any intention to marry Babu. “Although we have been friends on Facebook for two-and-a-half years, I am not interested in marrying him,” Rani said in her statement to the police, according to Punjab police officer Nasir Shah. When asked if Babu had met Rani, the police officer could not confirm the details.
After his arrest, Babu, who had entered Pakistan without any legal documents, was detained under Pakistan's Foreign Act sections 13 and 14. He was later presented in court, which placed him in judicial custody for 14 days, with the next hearing scheduled for January 10.
Babu’s case has stirred media attention, with a source revealing that officials from an intelligence agency interrogated Rani and her family members regarding their relationship with Babu. There are also unconfirmed reports that Rani may have been pressured into her statement.
This is not the first case of individuals crossing borders to meet online romantic interests. Previously, an Indian woman named Anju crossed into Pakistan to marry her lover, converting to Islam in the process. Last year, Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman, entered India via Nepal with her children and married an Indian man, while Pakistani woman Iqra Jiwani married Indian national Mulayam Singh Yadav in Nepal after an online gaming connection.
Meanwhile, Babu’s family was shocked to learn about his arrest through a Pakistani news report, as they had been under the impression that he was working in a factory in Delhi. Babu’s father, Kirpal Singh, expressed disbelief upon hearing the news, stating, “We couldn’t believe it. We thought he was in Delhi, but now he’s in a Pakistani jail. It’s like something out of a movie.”
In response to the situation, Babu’s parents have made an urgent appeal to the Indian government for his release. His mother, speaking to reporters, said, “We want our son back, and we don’t know how to bring him home. We are calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help us.”
Babu’s family believes he was active on Facebook, where he reportedly connected with Rani. After telling his parents that he was going to Delhi for work, Babu left his village in August, after Raksha Bandhan. His family later received a video call from him just before Diwali, during which he reassured them of his safety and job situation. However, the family was shocked to discover that Babu had crossed into Pakistan, though the exact details of his border crossing remain unclear.
Aligarh Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amrit Jain confirmed that the family had submitted a memorandum regarding the incident. The authorities are working with the Ministry of External Affairs to secure Babu’s release and are in touch with the appropriate diplomatic channels to assist the family.
As the family awaits help, Babu’s case highlights the complex challenges of cross-border relationships fueled by social media.
With PTI inputs