BSF jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw, who returned to India on May 14 after being released by Pakistan Rangers, reached his residence in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Friday evening.
Shaw was held captive in the neighbouring country for nearly three weeks.
Earlier in the day, Purnam arrived at Howrah station, where he was greeted by his family and well-wishers with chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram.' His father, Bholenath Shaw, who had been waiting for hours on the platform, hugged him tightly.
Security personnel quickly formed a cordon around Shaw and his family as hundreds of people tried to shake his hand and offer greetings.
A visibly exhausted yet smiling Shaw told the jostling media, "I am happy to be back and to meet my near and dear ones." Shaw and his family were then escorted in battery-operated cars to the car parking stand adjacent to the Howrah station’s new complex.
Upon reaching his hometown Rishra, they were welcomed by people and a band playing patriotic tunes.
The local club near his home was decorated with strings of tiny coloured bulbs, creating a festive atmosphere.
His wife Rajani Shaw, who is expecting, struggled to hold back tears as neighbours and family members exchanged sweets in celebration.
"He has been serving the nation as a paramilitary personnel for 17 years. He will return to the frontiers again. We are proud of him as a brave warrior, one of those guarding the nation’s borders," said Rajani, overwhelmed with emotion.
As Purnam stepped into his home, words failed him. His brother, Rahul Shaw, exclaimed, "It feels like Diwali has returned to our area." Purnam had returned to India through the Attari-Wagah border on the evening of May 14.
The BSF constable had been taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers on April 23, after he inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab’s Ferozepur district.
His accidental crossing came just a day after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which had further heightened border tensions.