Balaghat, February 7 While expressing happiness over her brother's return from a Pakistani prison, a woman in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, voiced concerns about his mental health and sought assistance from the government for his treatment on Saturday.
Prasannjeet Rangari (38) had been imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat Jail (Central Jail Lahore) in Pakistan for seven years. After being released last month, he was brought back to his village, Khairlanji, 32 km from here, on Friday.
"He has lost much of his memory, and his mental health does not appear to be stable," said Sanghmitra, his sister, who had been trying for years to secure his release from the Lahore jail.
District Collector Mrinal Meena told reporters that if the family wanted medical help for Prasannjeet, the necessary assistance would be provided.
When asked how Rangari ended up in Pakistan, Rangari, who spoke to the media at his residence on Saturday, repeatedly said that he had travelled by train from Jabalpur to Delhi, and gave varying accounts of reaching Pakistan by train or some other vehicle.
He stated that he was given two rotis a day in prison. Speaking to his brother-in-law, he said that he was allowed to have meat.
He was able to recognise his sister and brother-in-law upon his return.
His brother-in-law, Rajesh Khobragadhe, said that Rangari told him that he was assigned the task of clearing fallen leaves during his imprisonment.
Khobragadhe expressed gratitude to former minister Gaurishankar Bisen, former district panchayat member Vikram Deshmukh, advocate Kapil Phule, Collector Mrinal Meena, and the Superintendent of Police for supporting Sanghmitra in her efforts to bring Rangari home.
He went missing from home in 2017-18. In December 2021, the family received a phone call informing them that he was imprisoned in a Pakistani jail.
Rangari was one of six prisoners released by Pakistan on January 31. He was brought back to Madhya Pradesh after remaining under the custody of Amritsar police.