Kolkata, 11 May

The wife of BSF constable Purnam Kumar Sahu detained by Pakistan Rangers, on Sunday, said she has sought a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to appeal for her intervention in her husband's release.

She expressed hope that Banerjee's involvement could expedite the process.

Forty-year-old Sahu, posted in Punjab's Ferozepur sector, inadvertently crossed the international border on April 23 and was subsequently taken into custody by Pakistan Rangers.

"I have sought a brief meeting with Mamata Banerjee. She is the chief minister and a powerful leader, so her intervention will help in expediting the matter," Rajni Sahu told a vernacular news channel.

Rajni said she had spoken to BSF officials following an understanding between India and Pakistan to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, but received no substantial updates.

"They assured me, but there is nothing new in their response," she added.

Rajni said she is hopeful that her husband could be brought back through a possible swap with a Pakistani Ranger who was apprehended by Indian forces in Rajasthan on 3 May.

Senior TMC leader and MP Kalyan Banerjee, who has been asked by the state government to follow up on the matter, said he had already spoken to the Director General of BSF on Saturday evening.

"I called up the DG last evening to ensure that the matter is now pursued seriously. The situation is improving, and this is the right time to push for his release," Banerjee said.

Sahu's family resides in Rishra in West Bengal's Hooghly district.