punjab

Updated: Oct 03, 2016 19:30 IST

In a noble gesture amid heightened tension between the two countries, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday handed back to Pakistan authorities a 12-year-old boy who had accidentally crossed over to the Indian side in Punjab search of drinking water.

Officials said the boy identified as Mohammed Tanveer was apprehended by the BSF on Sunday evening at the Dona Telu Mal border post in Ferozepur. They said he “inadvertently” crossed the international border and came over to the Indian side in search of drinking water from a tubewell as he was thirsty.

The BSF, officials said, took care of Tanveer overnight and kept him at their camp and early on Monday contacted their Pakistani counterparts so that he could be sent back to his village Dhari in the Kasur district of that country.

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“Tanveer was handed over to the Rangers at about 11am as per the policy of handing back inadvertent crossers on humanitarian grounds,” they said.

An Indian soldier, Chandu Babulal Chavan, is in Pakistan’s custody after he “inadvertently” crossed over last week. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said a well-established mechanism through the DGMO has been activated to bring back Chavan.