Indians abducted in Mali: Al-Qaida-linked ‘terrorists demanding ransom’ in exchange for hostages

A RELATIVE of an Indian national abducted by an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali claimed that terrorists are demanding ransom in exchange for the people.

P Venkataraman, a resident of Odisha's Ganjam district, is among the three Indians abducted by an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali.

Venkataraman’s brother-in-law told news agency ANI his family had got a call from the company where Venkataraman worked in Mali.

The brother-in-law said, "We got a call from the company that he and some others are in police custody as terrorists have set the factory on fire. An international news claimed that Al-Qaeda had kidnapped some people.”

“We called the company to confirm this, and they refused us to leak this information and said that the terrorists are demanding ransom in exchange for the people," he was quoted by ANI as saying.

Venkataraman's brother-in-law further informed that his family complained to the police after waiting for a few days. “I called and mailed the embassy, but did not get any response. I demand that my brother-in-law be brought back home safely," he said.

The brother-in-law said on Saturday that Venkat had last called him on June 30.

“He [Venkataraman] worked in a cement factory in Mali, West Africa. He said his company had stopped them from going out as terrorists were present. This kidnapping incident happened on July 1,” Venkataraman's relative said.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed deep concern over the abduction of three Indian workers from a factory in Mali's Kayes region and urged authorities in the West African country to ensure their "safe and expeditious" rescue.

"It has come to the knowledge of the Government of India that many military and government installations at multiple locations of western and central Mali were attacked by terrorists on July 1," the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday.