New Delhi, May 5
Taking a passionate view of the plea by the wife of a soldier from Punjab for safe return of her husband reportedly lodged in a Pakistani jail since the 1971 war, the Supreme Court has directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to “intervene” in the matter to supplant the efforts of the Border Security Force (BSF) in tracing its missing constable Surjit Singh.
“Let the Ministry of External Affairs, which was requested by the BSF authorities to look into the matter, also intervene in it…to see that he is brought back to the country,” a Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia said, while entertaining a petition by Surjit Singh’s aging wife Angrej Kaur from Cant Road in
Faridkot district.
“If a soldier, while fighting for the country’s security, is captured and taken to other country’s prison contrary to official belief that he was dead, it would be in the interests of not only the petitioner and her family members but also for the armed forces of this country to see that he is brought back,” the court said.
The Bench directed the MEA to find out the actual position expeditiously and communicate the same to his wife Angrej Kaur. It further ordered the submission of the status report about the result of the ministry’s inquiry and the latest development in the matter to the court within three months.
Ms Angrej Kaur had moved the Supreme Court earlier this year seeking a direction to the Union Government and the BSF for taking concrete steps to ensure safe return of her husband, who was reported missing from Chhamb sector on December 4, 1971, during the war with Pakistan but declared dead in a communication to her by the authorities after three years on September 26, 1974.
Ms Angrej Kaur had though reconciled to her fate of losing her husband in the war as the BSF authorities had even sanctioned pension to her, but her hopes were revived after the release of some prisoners by Pakistan in August 2004 as Khushi Mohammed from Malerkotla and some other persons among them had confirmed the presence of her husband in the Kot Lakhpat Rai jail.
