Lahore/Aligarh, 3 January 2025- An Indian man from Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) was arrested in Pakistan after illegally crossing the border to meet a Facebook friend he intended to marry, only to find out she was not interested in a relationship.
Badal Babu, in his 20s, was apprehended by Pakistan's Punjab police on December 28 in the Mandi Bahauddin district, located approximately 240 kilometers from Lahore.
According to police officer Nasir Shah, Babu had been in contact with 21-year-old Sana Rani through Facebook for the past two-and-a-half years but was unaware that she had no intentions of marrying him.
"In her statement, Sana Rani mentioned that although Babu and she had been online friends for some time, she was not interested in marrying him," Shah told PTI.
It remains unclear whether the two met before Babu's arrest, and authorities are investigating if Rani's refusal to marry was influenced by external pressure.
Babu's arrest came after crossing into Pakistan unlawfully and traveling to Rani’s village in Mandi Bahauddin.
The Pakistani police have charged him under the Foreign Act, citing his lack of legal travel documentation. He was later presented in court and placed in judicial custody, with his next hearing set for January 10.
Upon hearing the news, Babu’s family, who had been unaware of his illegal journey, expressed shock and disbelief. His father, Kirpal Singh, spoke to local media, saying, "We didn’t believe it. For us, he was supposed to be working in Delhi. To find out he's in a Pakistani jail… it feels like something out of a movie."
The family is now seeking assistance from the Indian government, with Babu's mother appealing for help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi: "We just want our son back. We don’t know how to bring him home."
Aligarh's Superintendent of Police (Rural) Amrit Jain confirmed receiving a memorandum from the family. "We will approach the Ministry of External Affairs to assist in establishing contact with Babu and working towards his release," Jain assured.
Babu had reportedly informed his family he was traveling to Delhi for work, leaving his village in August after the Raksha Bandhan festival. A video call before Diwali reassured his parents that he was safe and employed. However, his family soon learned that he had somehow crossed into Pakistan, although the exact details remain unverified.
This is not an isolated case of individuals crossing international borders to meet social media-based love interests. Previous incidents have seen Indian citizens and Pakistani nationals making similar journeys to meet online partners.
Notably, Anju, an Indian woman, traveled to Pakistan to marry Nasrullah, and Pakistani woman Seema Haider crossed into India to marry an Indian man she met through an online game.