Assam's Wahida Begum and Son Reunited with Family After Custody by Punjab Police

GUWAHATI: Wahida Begum from Assam and her 11-year-old son, Faiz Khan, recently returned to India through the Wagah-Attari Border. They were handed over to their family by the Punjab police on Tuesday, following instructions from the local authorities.

On Wednesday, Wahida told the media about her terrifying, Bollywood-like ordeal. She described her forced abduction and the frightening experiences she went through, including being caught at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In a petition to the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Wahida explained how a Pakistani national named Yusuf Ali, also known as Rehman Zia or Salim Khan, and Roshan Kumar, a resident of Bhagwanchak, Bihar, secretly visited her in Nagaon on November 11, 2022. They told her that Prasenjit Dutta and Ranjit Dutta had called her to their office in Nagaon.

In her petition, Wahida mentioned that on November 11, 2022, around 10-11 am, Salim Khan and Roshan Kumar came to her and informed her that Prasenjit Dutta and Ranjit Dutta had summoned her to their office (Tiptop Enterprise).

Trusting them, Wahida and her young son Faiz went to the office, where they were allegedly forced to sign many blank and typed documents and withdraw Rs 5 lakh as part of a planned scheme. According to the petition, Prasenjit Dutta then gave money to Salim and instructed him to either kill Wahida and her son or traffic them into illegal activities outside India.

Wahida recounted that when she refused to go with the men, she was verbally abused and physically assaulted.

In her petition, Wahida recounted that she was forcefully placed in a car where Salim Khan brandished a pistol and instructed her to remain quiet as they took her to Guwahati against her will.

She mentioned that members of their unknown gang had already arranged air tickets, and both she and her son were flown to Kolkata airport. She expressed her fear that Salim might harm her or her son at any moment, so she complied with his every command.

At around 2:00 am on the night of November 11, 2022, shortly after leaving Kolkata Airport, Wahida and her son were taken to an undisclosed hotel. There, Salim Khan contacted one of his associates by phone, according to Wahida's petition.

In her plea to the Ministry, Wahida stated that on May 29, 2024, she and her son were repatriated to Indian officials at the Wagah Border by the Pakistani government. Upon arrival, she was informed about her mother filing a writ petition (51/2022) in the Supreme Court, requiring her appearance.

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