Birju Kulu, who had mistakenly crossed into Pakistan and served imprisonment for 20 long years in Lahore, returned home in Sundargarh district on Friday. A team of the district administration officials had visited Amritsar last week to bring him to his village.
It was an emotional moment for his family members who were able to see Birju after over two decades. His only sister, who is married at Kukuda village under Rajgangpur block, burst into tears when she met him after so long.In the meantime, Birju’s parents, who had been waiting for their lost child, have died.Birju, a resident of Katang village under Kutra block in Sundargarh district, had been imprisoned by a Pakistan court on suspicion of being a spy from India.He was the only son of Kamlis Kulu. He was said to be an intellectually-disabled person since his childhood. He had left his home at an age of 25 years. His family members had lost hope to meet him again after they failed to trace his whereabouts.Source said Birju had mistakenly entered into Pakistan after crossing the Indian border. The Pakistan Army caught him suspecting him as an Indian spying agent.He was awarded 20-year imprisonment after being convicted by the Pakistan court.
He was freed from the jail in Lahore on October 26 this year and handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wargha border.Following his release from Pakistan, he was admitted to a Covid Hospital at Narayanganjgarh in Amritsar for treatment.