New Delhi: Four Indian teachers who were returning to India from Tripoli and Tunis, were kidnapped in India. Laxmikant Ramakrishna of Raichur, Mulbagil Vijay Kumar of Bengaluru, T Gopikrishna and K Balram of Hyderabad were 'detained' at a check point, 50 km from Sirte.
MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “Three of them were faculty members at the University of Sirte and one was working at the Sirte University's branch in Jufra. We are in regular touch with the families concerned and all efforts are being made to ensure the well being and early release of the four Indian nationals.”
He further said, “On July 20th, our mission in Tripoli came to know that four Indian nationals who were returning to India via Tripoli and Tunis were detained at a checkpoint approximately 50 kms from Sirte.” The Ministry of External Affairs further said the are from where the Indians were kidnapped is under the control of the Islamic State, which has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria and has declared itself a caliphate.
However, later, Swarup sent a tweet from his official account, that sent a sigh of relief to two of the Indians' families as he said, “Welcome news from Libya. 2 of the 4 detained Indians brought back safely to University of Sirte. Our efforts continue for the remaining two.”
The families of Laxmikant, an assistant professor at the EE Engineering College of the University of Sirte, and Vijay Kumar, head of the English department, were informed by officials about the release. “Luckily, my brother was released this evening. We will celebrate when he returns,” Laxmikant’s younger brother, Pavan Kumar said.
Bengaluru based Vijay Kumar is a doctorate holder in Education with post-graduate degrees in English, European History and Education, and a double graduate degree to his name. “His wife Sunitha was so scared after she heard about the kidnapping that she rushed off on a pilgrimage to pray for her husband’s safe release. Her prayers have been answered,” Vijay Kumar’s brother, Hemanth, said.
South Block officials said Laxmikant and Vijay Kumar had been brought back to Sirte, located between Tripoli and Benghazi, and confirmed that there had been no ransom demand yet for the other two.
However, negotiations run into fresh trouble as sources said efforts for the release of the remaining two academicians had “run into trouble.” In the past few days, several militias have been fighting for control of the Libyan coastal town of Sirte, where forces loyal to former leader Muammar Qadhafi, who have allied with foreign IS terrorists, are fighting groups ranged against their dead leader that control the capital Tripoli.
“Our efforts are on,” a senior official said, adding, “The clashes don’t help.”
