Telangana man 'abducted' by rebels in Mali; family seeks govt help
N Praveen, 23, who worked as a supervisor in a borewell company, was kidnapped on November 23; his kin have appealed to PM Modi and CM Reddy
The family of a 23-year-old man from Telangana, who has reportedly been abducted by rebels in Mali, has requested intervention from both the central and state governments to secure his release.
N Praveen, who hails from Banda Somaram village of the state’s Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, worked as a supervisor in a borewell-drilling firm in the western African nation. He was abducted on November 23, the company informed his family. It also assured them that he would be released.
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His anxious family members and relatives approached the local police on Saturday (December 6) seeking help to know his whereabouts.
A senior police officer acknowledged, while speaking to PTI on Sunday (December 7), that they learned about the incident from one of Praveen’s relatives the previous day.
No official report yet, says cops
“There is no official report about the kidnapping. We have informed the embassy authorities in this regard and are awaiting confirmation. We are assisting the family,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency.
Naveen, brother of the abducted youth, said the latter had left for Mali in November last year. He said they were informed by the owners of Praveen’s company that he was kidnapped by the rebels along with some other workers while they were returning from work.
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Expressing concern, he told the media and appealed to the governments in New Delhi and Hyderabad to try to trace his brother.
“It has been two weeks since the incident. We are distressed. My parents are not able to have food because of this,” Naveen said.
Company assured but family not convinced
According to Praveen's father, Jangaiah, the company owners have assured the family that his son would be released. They mentioned similar past incidents involving rebels demanding ransom.
“When I spoke to him I had told Praveen to come back home. He said that he would stay there for another two months... We are not able to understand what is happening,” Jangaiah said and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to take immediate measures for the release of his son.
Also read: Hindu community leader abducted, beaten to death in Bangladesh
A day before the (abduction) incident, Praveen had said that he was going to a remote area for work and might not be reachable due to network issues.
“He used to speak to me over the phone daily. We did not expect this to happen. It's been 14 days now. Where is he? Please save my son,” his inconsolable mother appealed to the government.
Andhra youth goes missing in Mali
In a related incident, a 26-year-old man from Talapula Mandal in Sri Satya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh has gone missing in an African country, his family claimed on December 4.
Also read: 4-year-old girl abducted from railway shed, raped in Bengal's Tarakeshwar
According to a police officer, authorities believe that he was abducted by rebels there while returning from work.
K Ramachandran’s relative Sai Kumar said his uncle went missing, also in Mali, and he has been working there as a borewell operator for the past year. The company Ramachandran works for contacted his family, informing them that he was kidnapped on November 23.
Mali has faced rebellions for more than a decade, thanks to separatist movements and armed fighters, and there have been several incidents of Indian nationals being taken ‘hostage’.
(With Agency inputs)