In a ‘goodwill gesture’, Pakistan today returned Indian soldier Chandu Babulal Chavan, who inadvertently crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in September last year.
According to news agency, Chandu (22) was handed over to Indian authorities at 1430 hours.
A statement by Pakistani military claimed that the Indian soldier wilfully came to Pakistan due to his ‘grievances of maltreatment by his superiors’ and ‘surrendered’ himself to the military.
"As a gesture of goodwill and in continuation of our efforts to maintain peace and tranquility along LoC and working boundary, Sepoy Chandu Chavan has been convinced to return to his own country and will be handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah on Humanitarian grounds," the statement said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said in September that all efforts are being made to free Chandu from Pakistan captivity.
Earlier this month, MoS Defence, Subhash Bhamre had said that ‘enough positive hints have come from Pakistan side about their decision to release the soldier’.
His grandmother suffered a cardiac arrest and died after the family was informed that he was captured by the Pakistan Army. Chandu is a soldier from 37 Rashtriya Rifles and hails from Maharashtra's Dhule.
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