By 
KANPUR: When ‘Indian spy’ Shamshuddin returned home on Sunday after spending 28 years in Pakistan, his kin were overjoyed and thanked the authorities for securing his safe return. As the news spread, local residents gathered around his sister Shabina’s Kanghi Mohal house in the city to celebrate the occasion.
Shamshuddin had gone to Pakistan in search of a job in 1992 after being lured by a relative. Unfortunately, he was sentenced to eight years’ in prison in that country on charges of being an ‘Indian spy’.
Expert in making shoe uppers, Shamshuddin was lodged in Karachi Jail after his sentencing on October 24, 2012. His eight-year jail term ended on October 26, 2020, and he crossed over into India via Wagah border. He was handed over to the Amritsar administration by the Indian Army and kept in mandatory quarantine. After the end of the quarantine period, Kanpur police brought him back to the city on Sunday night.
Shamshuddin’s sister Shabina said: “We are extremely grateful to the government for securing his safe release. We shall remain indebted for all it’s help.”
“It is unbelievable and we are so happy… It was Diwali for us today. All’s well that ends well,” his nephew Mustafa said, wiping away tears of joy.
After a short meeting with the family, he was taken away by the city police for routine debriefing.
