Rajasthan, July 3: A young Hindu couple of Pakistan reportedly died of thirst in Thar Desert amid their ‘Dunki’ walk to reach India following denial of their visiting visa.
Two days after the incident, the young couple's bodies were found in Rajasthan, about 11 kilometres away from the International Indo-Pak Border.
The bodies of the couple were spotted by a local shepherd on Saturday, who then informed the Border Security Force (BSF).
Voter IDs found near the duo’s bodies revealed that the couple was from Pakistan's Sindh district.
While the man was identified as 17-year-old Ravi Kumar, the woman was identified as 15-year-old Shanti Bai. A mobile phone SIM card procured from Pakistan was also recovered from the scene, said Raj Police.
Further, a jerry can was found near the man's mouth, likely pointing to the fact that the couple had travelled with water, but had run out after a tiring walk in the desert.
Their blackened bodies and medical examinations suggested that they might have died of thirst or dehydration.
It’s also anticipated that they likely left home and tried to cross the border illegally on foot, however lost their way in the desert.
Further investigation revealed that the deceased had newly married and had applied for a visa to travel to India, but the process went into limbo as cross-border tensions escalated following Operation Sindoor.
Dilip Singh Sodha, district coordinator of Hindu Pakistani Displaced Union and Border People's Organisation, said that the couple had left their home in Pakistan on June 21. Their motorcycle was seen near Nurpur Dargah in Pakistan.
However,, the whereabouts of the duo was not known thereafter, Sodha added.
Further investigation underway to contact the couple's kith & kin who are supposedly residing in Pak, said Rajasthan Police.
