The parents of a young Punjabi man from Jalandhar have made a desperate appeal to the Government of India after their son was arrested by Pakistan Rangers. Sharandeep Singh, in his early twenties, went missing from his village earlier this month, with his family discovering his fate through social media updates from across the border.
A Desperate Search and a Painful Discovery
Sharandeep Singh, the only child of Satnam Singh and Amarjit Kaur from Bhoypur village near Shahkot, left his home on November 2 around 4 pm. According to his parents, he was with his friend Mandeep Singh and appeared to be under the intense influence of an intoxicant. When he did not return home, the family launched a frantic search.
"We started looking for him, and his friend was also not forthcoming," the distressed parents stated. After two days of no news, they questioned Mandeep Singh again, who revealed he had left Sharandeep in Ratoke village. With all leads going cold, the family officially lodged a missing person report at the Shahkot police station on November 7.
Their agonizing wait ended not with a phone call, but through posts on social media. "We came to know about his arrest through social media in Pakistan. We did not know if he was alive. We are very worried," they said on Wednesday.
From Wrestling Promise to a Struggle with Addiction
The family revealed a tragic backstory that may have led to the current crisis. Sharandeep was once a promising wrestler, but his life took a dark turn after one of his hands was damaged in a fight. This injury plunged him into depression, from which he sought solace in drugs.
"He was a very good wrestler, but after one of his hands was damaged in a fight, he slipped into depression and started taking drugs," his parents explained. They had tried to get him help, admitting him to a de-addiction centre last year. They were planning further treatment when he vanished.
His parents now believe that Sharandeep might have crossed the international border under the influence of drugs or intoxicants. "We have urged the Govt of India to get him back," they pleaded.
Official Response and Ongoing Efforts
Local police officials confirmed that a Daily Diary Report (DDR) was registered regarding Sharandeep's disappearance on November 7. They also checked their records and noted that the youth had a minor case related to a quarrel registered against him in the past.
The case has now escalated from a local missing person investigation to a matter of international diplomacy. The family's hopes are pinned on intervention by the central government to negotiate the return of their son from Pakistani custody.
"We request the govt to get him back," is the simple, heartfelt plea from Satnam Singh and Amarjit Kaur, who continue to wait for news from official channels, their only child's fate hanging in the balance.
