Chandu Babulal Chavan, 22, returned through the land transit route of Attari-Wagah border.
The Border Security Force handed him over to the Army which took him to an undisclosed location.
Chavan, posted with 37 Rashtriya Rifles, had mistakenly crossed the boundary in Kashmir hours after India’s surgical strikes on terrorist bases across the LoC.
Chavan’s brother Bhushan Chavan, who is also a soldier, said he is thankful to the army for its effort.
“I am thankful to DGMO (director general of military operations) and army for the efforts they have made. I am never going to forget this. I am also a soldier and will continue to do my duty with full honesty till my last breath,” he said.
“I am grateful to the villagers and everybody who prayed for not just my brother but for a soldier of this country,” Bhushan said.
Chavan belongs to Borvihir village in Dhule district of Maharashtra. His grandmother had died of shock following the news of his capture by Pakistani troops. Chavan will be first medically examined by the team of army doctors, said an official posted at Attari.
Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said his ministry and the DGMO had been constantly trying their level best to secure the release of the jawan ‘who was in Pakistan’s custody after he inadvertently crossed the LoC’.
He said the soldier will be able to return home after the army completes due procedure.
“The External Affairs Ministry was also involved. All efforts were made to secure the release of the soldier and the result is that he has been released today,” the minister said.
“Our DGMO was in touch with his Pakistani counterpart. Last week we were told that he will be released soon,” he said.
Pakistani army issued a statement early in the day announcing the handing over of the Indian soldier. It said that the soldier had ‘deserted’ his post across the LoC due to ‘grievances against his commanders’ and ‘has been convinced to return home’.
‘Pak Army returning Indian sldr (soldier) to India as goodwill (sic),’ Pakistan’s Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet.
In a separate statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, “The decision of the government of Pakistan to return the Indian soldier is based on humanitarian grounds and the commitment to ensure peace and tranquility at the LoC and the Working Boundary.
“Despite Indian belligerence, Pakistan believes in peaceful neighbourhood and rejects all actions aimed at undermining regional peace and security.”
Meanwhile in Pune, Chandu Chavan’s family said that as he is now released, the ashes of his grandmother can finally be immersed in a river.
Chandu’s grandmother had died of shock after he was captured by the Pakistani forces.
“My grandmother died of heart attack after hearing the news of Chandu’s capture by Pakistan. We had decided that until he returned her ashes will not be immersed in river. That day has now come,” said Bhushan.
Preparations had started in the village to give Chandu a grand welcome and crackers were being burst, he said.
“I received a call from Subhash Bhamre and he informed us about Chandu’s release,” Bhushan said.
Bhushan had also written to the human rights organisations in Pakistan, seeking help to secure his brother’s release, he said.
‘I even tweeted to Pakistan’s ambassador at United Nations and sought her help,’ he said.