Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh): The family of the youth from Uttar Pradesh who was caught along with eight other fishermen by the Pakistani Navy one and half years ago has appealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to secure his release. Neeraj Bind, a resident of Bhatewara village of Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh, who was working as a boat driver was arrested along with eight fishermen on February 8, 2022, by the Pakistani Navy while they allegedly crossed the international waters near Gujarat, his father Udayraj Bind said.
Neeraj's wife Pooja vividly recalls that Neeraj's employer had called the family on the day he was arrested along with eight others. Ever since Neeraj was arrested by the Pakistani Navy, Pooja said she has not heard about the fate of her husband let alone talk to him over the phone. Narrating her harrowing experience due to her husband's arrest, Pooja said that she was pregnant when Neeraj was arrested.
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She later gave birth to a son while Neeraj was away. Pooja said that her son is about a year old now, but has not seen his father. The family members said that they are wandering from pillar to post to seek Neeraj's release. Despite making several rounds of the concerned officials in this regard, no breakthrough has been made over Neeraj's release, the family said.
''It has been almost one and a half years. We do not even know in what condition my husband is in Pakistan. We have not talked to him even once all these months,” Pooja said. She said that they lodged several complaints to the authorities in this regard but to no avail. The family has appealed to the Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to intervene in the matter.
SP Bhadohi Dr Anil Kumar said that the matter has come to his notice and a letter has been written to the Union Home Ministry over the matter. Neeraj Bind is the eldest of the three sons of Udayraj Bind who had migrated to Gujarat in need of a better livelihood for the family. With his arrest for a year and a half now, the family is finding it difficult to make ends meet.
