Facebook Romance: Indian Man Arrested in Pakistan, Girlfriend's Statement Takes a Twist

An Indian man, Badal Babu, aged 30 and hailing from Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested last week in Pakistan’s Punjab province for illegally crossing the border. He reportedly entered Mandi Bahauddin district, located about 240 kilometers from Lahore, to meet and marry his Facebook friend, Sana Rani.

According to local police, Badal Babu admitted during questioning that he crossed the border to marry Rani, with whom he had been in contact for over two and a half years through Facebook. Following his arrest, the authorities summoned Rani, aged 21, to record her statement.

Rani informed the police that she had no intention of marrying Badal. "We have been friends on Facebook for the past two and a half years, but I am not interested in marrying him," Rani stated, according to Punjab police officer Naseer Shah. Shah added that Rani’s family and intelligence agencies are also being questioned about her relationship with Badal.

The incident took a further twist when Shah mentioned that he could not confirm whether Badal had actually met Rani before his arrest. Reports indicate that Rani may have refused to marry Badal under family pressure, but this remains unverified.

Badal Babu, who lacked valid legal documents to enter Pakistan, has been charged under Sections 13 and 14 of the Pakistan Foreigners Act. A local court placed him in judicial custody for 14 days, with the next hearing scheduled for January 10.