Sikh Woman Sarbjit Kaur, Taken into Custody in Lahore Amid Delays in Deportation to India

New Delhi: Sarbjit Kaur, a 52-year-old Sikh woman from Amanipur village in Kapurthala, Punjab who travelled to Pakistan in November 2025 for a pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib and did not return, has been taken into custody by Pakistani authorities and placed in the Lahore Women’s Safe House amid delays in her deportation to India.

Kaur had joined a 1,932-member Sikh jatha that entered Pakistan on November 4, 2025, for the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, but went missing from the group.

Days after arriving, she was reported to have converted to Islam, adopted the name Noor Hussain, and married Nasir Hussain, a Pakistani man from Sheikhupura district, approximately 50 km from Lahore.

A joint team of India’s Intelligence Bureau and local police located and arrested Sarbjit and Nasir following concerns about her extended stay beyond the validity of her single-entry visa. Pakistani authorities initiated deportation proceedings, with plans to hand her over to Indian officials at the Attari-Wagah check post.

However, despite completing required formalities, the deportation did not take place as scheduled, and she remained in Pakistan late into Monday night without crossing into Indian territory. Reasons for the delay have not been officially clarified.

Following her arrest on January 4, 2026, Sarbjit Kaur was transferred to the Lahore Women’s Safe House where she remains under custody pending further action on her deportation.

Earlier reports indicated that after going missing, Kaur and her husband approached the Lahore High Court, alleging police harassment and seeking protection for their marriage. The court reportedly ordered local police to refrain from interference.

Sarbjit Kaur’s case had drawn widespread attention after an 18-second video circulated on social media in which she was heard stating that she converted to Islam willingly, saying she had known Nasir Hussain for several years and chose to marry him.

At present, Pakistani officials have not provided further details on when or how the deportation process will be completed.

ALSO READ: Flash Floods in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi: 16 Killed, Hundreds Displaced