Lahore/Aligarh, 3 January 2025 – A man from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended by Pakistani authorities after illegally crossing the border to meet a woman he had been in contact with on Facebook, only to discover she was not interested in a relationship.
Badal Babu, in his twenties, was arrested by Punjab police on December 28 in Mandi Bahauddin, a district roughly 240 kilometers from Lahore.
According to police officer Nasir Shah, Babu had been communicating with 21-year-old Sana Rani on Facebook for over two years but did not realize she had no plans to marry him.
“Sana Rani explained that while the two had been online friends, she had no romantic interest in him,” Shah told PTI.
It’s unclear whether Babu and Rani met before his arrest, and authorities are investigating if outside influences affected Rani’s decision to decline his proposal.
Babu was arrested after he crossed into Pakistan illegally and traveled to Rani’s village in Mandi Bahauddin. He faces charges under the Foreign Act for not having proper travel documents and was placed in judicial custody after his court appearance. His next court hearing is set for January 10.
Babu’s family, unaware of his unlawful journey, was shocked by the news. His father, Kirpal Singh, expressed disbelief to the media, stating, “We didn’t believe it. He was supposed to be in Delhi for work. Finding out he’s in a Pakistani jail feels surreal.”
The family is now seeking help from the Indian government, with Babu’s mother appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “We just want our son back. We don’t know how to get him home.”
Aligarh’s Superintendent of Police (Rural), Amrit Jain, confirmed receiving a request from Babu’s family. “We’ll be working with the Ministry of External Affairs to contact Babu and assist with his release,” Jain said.
Babu had informed his family he was heading to Delhi for work, leaving his village after the Raksha Bandhan festival in August. He reassured them via a video call before Diwali, assuring them he was working and safe. However, it soon became clear that he had somehow entered Pakistan, with details still unclear.
This is not the first instance of individuals crossing international borders to meet online acquaintances. Similar stories have previously emerged, such as that of Anju, an Indian woman who went to Pakistan to marry Nasrullah, and Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman who traveled to India to marry an Indian man she met through an online game.
