JOIN USTeachers were on their way to India when IS men got them
It was a day of trauma and joy for the family members of Lakshmikanth in Raichur. Lakshmikanth, who works as a professor at Sirte University in Libya, was abducted by IS militants on Wednesday and released safely on Friday.
Lakshmikanth has been serving as professor in Electronics Engineering at Sirte University of Libya since September 2009. According to his family members, he was on his way to India with four Indians, via Tripoli. Four masked men intercepted their car near a checkpost and abducted all the Indians. The driver of the vehicle had informed the varsity authorities, who in turn gave the information to Indian embassy in Libya. The Ministry of External Affairs had informed the family of Lakshmikanth.
Prathibha, the wife of Lakshmikanth, said that her husband had called home around 4 pm on June 29 telling that he would arrive at Hyderabad airport on the morning of August 1. He had asked his father to come to the airport. But, the family plunged into grief after receiving a call from the university around 4.30 pm, informing them of the abduction.
“I had stayed in Libya with my husband from April 2012 to August 2014. The people there treated us affectionately. But, I was terrified after hearing that my husband has been abducted. He had seen the face of six-month baby only through video and was eager to see her personally,” Prathibha said.
Ramakrishnappa, the father of Lakshmikanth, had submitted a memorandum to the superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner urging them to take steps for the immediate release of his son.
Following the news, the sugar and blood pressure level of the parents had shot up and they had been to a hospital on Friday evening. However, good news awaited them on their return. The family received information from the Ministry of External Affairs that Lakshikanth has been released. “Around 15 minutes later, he called me over phone saying that he has been released safely and the doctors have examined him,” Pratibha said. She added that she didn’t question her husband anymore.
M S Vijaykumar of Bangarpet in Kolar district is another person from Karnataka who was safely released by the militants. Vijaykumar is a physical education teacher in Libya. After marriage, he stayed in Bengaluru and later shifted to Libya for work. His father Srinivasulu said that he was abducted when he was on his way to the airport to catch a flight back home.