A Pakistani national, who had entered the Indian territory illegally without a valid passport in June 2024 when he was a minor, was repatriated to his home country today, with the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Faridkot, facilitating the process on directions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.The boy had crossed into India through the Ferozepur border and was taken into custody by the Juvenile Justice Board, Ferozepur. His case was decided around a year later, in 2025. He turned major during the course of his custody and was since then being kept in a separate cell within the Observation Home, Faridkot, designated as a “place of safety” — a secure, specialised child-care institution under the juvenile justice system meant to house older minors and young adults accused or convicted of heinous offences, distinct from regular jails or police lockups.Following the completion of his sentence and other legal formalities, and after clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Agnihotri, District and Sessions Judge-cum-Chairman, DLSA, Faridkot, directed the repatriation process, which was carried out under the supervision of Gurpreet Kaur, Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Secretary, DLSA, Faridkot. He was sent from the Observation Home, Faridkot, and handed over to Pakistani Rangers at the Attari border by the Superintendent of the Observation Home and her staff.Before his departure, the CJM presented him with sweets, fruits and clothes, wishing him well for his future, and cautioned him against engaging in unlawful activity or approaching any international border without valid travel documents.This is not the first such case from the region. In April 2024, two Pakistani boys of similar age were repatriated to Pakistan after completing their sentences.