Buxar man reunites with family

Patna: Twelve years after he mistakenly slipped into Pakistani territory, Chhavi Musahar (35) finally reunited with his family on Tuesday and received a rousing welcome at his hometown in Khilafatpur under Mufassil police station in Buxar district. The local police, who played a key role in facilitating his return, also welcomed him with a bouquet.
On reaching home, Chhavi recognized his mother Birti Devi and touched her feet.His brother Manish Musahar also got emotional seeing his elder brother and recalled the times they spent together in the village.
Chhavi was put behind bars in Karachi after he crossed the border and strayed into Pakistan’s territory mistakenly. He had gone to Punjab to earn livelihood. One day, he lost his way and crossed into Pakistan.
Recalling the time in jail, Chhavi told mediapersons that the police used to beat him up for failing to answer questions during interrogation. “I told them that I had mistakenly entered their territory and I am from Bihar in India. They, however, mistook me as an Indian spy. I had no identity card and money with me. Initially, people there used to feed me. In jail, they used to give me dal-roti and biryani,” he said.
Asked how he crossed the border, Chhavi said he had gone to take his wife from home, but lost way. He was quite shocked to hear that her wife Anita Devi got married to someone else from the same village in his absence. Chhavi, however, was happy to hear about his son, who was born after his disappearance. “I will meet my son,” he said.
After his disappearance in 2009, Chhavi’s family members searched him at all possible locations, but to no avail. They reluctantly accepted that Chhavi died and performed his last rites. His father Lohrik Musahar alias Garad also passed away some years later.
Birti (54) said his son looks better than earlier. “I used to keep fast to pray for his safe return. In December, when we got the news that he was alive in Pakistan’s jail, we were overly joyed,” she said.