Indian man jailed in Pakistan after crossing border to meet Facebook friend

New Delhi: An Indian man from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district has been jailed in Pakistan after illegally crossing the border to meet a Facebook friend. The 30-year-old, identified as Badal Babu, was arrested in Mandi Bahauddin district, Punjab, approximately 240 km from Lahore.

Local police stated that Babu had entered Pakistan without proper documentation, leading to his detention under Sections 13 and 14 of Pakistan’s Foreigners Act.

He was presented before a court and sent to judicial custody for 14 days, with the next hearing scheduled for January 10.

The woman at the center of the incident, 21-year-old Sana Rani, reportedly told the police she was not interested in marrying Babu. Officials have yet to confirm whether she made this statement under any external pressure.

Police also could not confirm if Babu had met Rani before his arrest. Sources revealed that intelligence agencies have questioned Rani and her family about her connection to Babu.

Following his arrest, Babu shared details of his “love story” with authorities. This is not the first instance of social media-driven cross-border connections.

In a similar case, an Indian woman named Anju traveled to Pakistan to meet her lover, converted to Islam, and married a Pakistani man, Nasrullah.

Authorities continue to investigate the case, highlighting the challenges posed by unauthorized cross-border travel.