From Babu to Rehan: How an Indian man reached Pak, changed name, landed in jail after online crush rejects him
Badal Babu, a 20-year-old from Aligarh, illegally crossed into Pakistan for love, changed his name to Rehan, and converted to Islam. However, his online crush rejected him, leaving him stranded. Arrested on December 27, he now faces legal trouble and an uncertain future.
FollowA young man from India, who crossed into Pakistan illegally for love, now finds himself in jail after his online crush rejected his proposal.
Badal Babu, a 20-year-old from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, fell in love with a Pakistani woman, Sana Rani, on social media. Their virtual romance lasted over two years, leading Badal to take a drastic step—he crossed the heavily guarded India-Pakistan border in the hope of marrying her. To win her acceptance, he even converted to Islam and changed his name to Rehan.
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However, his dreams came crashing down when Sana refused to marry him. With nowhere to go, Badal ended up in legal trouble and is now facing an uncertain future in a Pakistani jail.
According to his lawyer Fayaz Ramay, Badal entered Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border and started working as a shepherd near Sana’s home in Bilawal Colony, Mandi Bahauddin district of Pakistani Punjab. To avoid suspicion, he pretended to be from Karachi and claimed to have no family. However, on December 27, Pakistani authorities arrested him, according to a TOI report.
Hazi Khan Asgar, who hired him as a shepherd, said Badal had approached him for work. Later, he confided in Asgar about his love for Sana. Initially, Sana and her mother invited him to Mandi Bahauddin, but after discovering his real identity, she refused his proposal, leaving him stranded.
During a recent court hearing, Badal was allowed to make a video call to his parents in Aligarh. The emotional moment saw him speaking to them in handcuffs outside the courthouse.
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His lawyer claims that Badal fears returning to India, believing his life could be in danger due to his religious conversion. Ramay, who took up his case on humanitarian grounds, also has power of attorney from Badal’s father, Kirpal Singh.
The authorities are currently investigating how Badal crossed the border. A charge sheet will soon be filed, and his next hearing is scheduled for February 21.
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