Techie from Andhra repatriated by Pak via Wagah border

PRASHANT VAINDAM WENT MISSING IN 2017 AND WAS ARRESTED IN PAKISTAN ON NOVEMBER 14, 2019

AMRITSAR: A 32-year-old Indian software engineer, who was arrested for entering Pakistan illegally in 2019, was repatriated through the Attari-wagah border on Monday.

Software professional Prashant Vaindam, a resident of Rajive Nagar in Visakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh, went missing in 2017. Vaindam along with one Vari Lal of Madhya Pradesh was arrested in Pakistan on November 14, 2019.

Sources said the techie wanted to go to Switzerland to meet his online girlfriend but surfaced in Pakistan after having gone missing for two years. “Prashant was handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) by Pakistani Rangers at the border at 3pm,” said a BSF official at the border.

He was handed over to a team of two Hyderabad police officials after his immigration and customs clearance at the integrated check post (ICP) at Attari.

“He had been working as a software engineer at Kavuri Hills, Madhapur, in Hyderabad when he came into contact with a Madhya Pradesh-based woman through social media. He fell in love with her, but she didn’t accept his proposal. Later, the woman, moved to Switzerland. He wanted to follow her and in April 2017, he fled toward Pakistan through the Rajasthan border. He was caught there and remained in possession of various security agencies till November 2019 when he was finally shown arrested officially. He was sentenced to one year for illegally entering Pakistan,” said Punjab Police’s protocol officer at the ICP, Arun Pal.

Soon after his arrest, a video clip of Vaindam was widely circulated on the internet. In the video, Vaindam was seen speaking in Telugu, informing his parents that he has been arrested in Pakistan. He tried to assure his parents that after completing formalities, he will be released.