<p class="title">India has asked Ethiopia to investigate a report that employees of an Indian company, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), have been taken hostage by staff in Ethiopia, a government source said on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Seven Indian employees of the debt-laden IL&FS company have been held hostage by Ethiopian staff because of non-payment of salaries, according to messages posted on Twitter by those saying they were being held.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An India's foreign ministry official said India was discussing the matter "on priority" with Ethiopian authorities and the management of IL&FS.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are doing our best to ensure a settlement of this matter," said the official, who declined to be identified.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An IL&FS spokesman in India declined to comment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Indian government took control of IL&FS last month after it defaulted on some of its debt, triggering wider concerns about risk in the country's financial system.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The infrastructure financing and development company had over the years developed road, township and water-treatment projects in India and abroad.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Neeraj Raghuwanshi, who said he was one of the seven employees held hostage, has been calling for help on Twitter since Nov. 27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Situations are beyond our control, please #help before mishappening," Raghuwanshi said late on Friday in a tweet, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the foreign minister to intervene.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raghuwanshi said the seven IL&FS employees were held in three different locations in Ethiopia, following delayed salaries to staff and non-payment of local government taxes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another IL&FS member of staff who said he was being hostage, Khurram Imam, wrote on Twitter they were facing "lots of problems like foods, water, electricity".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the tweets or claims made by people saying they were held hostage.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raghuwanshi did not respond to an email seeking comment while Imam could not be reached for a comment. </p>
<p class="title">India has asked Ethiopia to investigate a report that employees of an Indian company, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), have been taken hostage by staff in Ethiopia, a government source said on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Seven Indian employees of the debt-laden IL&FS company have been held hostage by Ethiopian staff because of non-payment of salaries, according to messages posted on Twitter by those saying they were being held.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An India's foreign ministry official said India was discussing the matter "on priority" with Ethiopian authorities and the management of IL&FS.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We are doing our best to ensure a settlement of this matter," said the official, who declined to be identified.</p>.<p class="bodytext">An IL&FS spokesman in India declined to comment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Indian government took control of IL&FS last month after it defaulted on some of its debt, triggering wider concerns about risk in the country's financial system.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The infrastructure financing and development company had over the years developed road, township and water-treatment projects in India and abroad.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Neeraj Raghuwanshi, who said he was one of the seven employees held hostage, has been calling for help on Twitter since Nov. 27.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Situations are beyond our control, please #help before mishappening," Raghuwanshi said late on Friday in a tweet, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the foreign minister to intervene.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raghuwanshi said the seven IL&FS employees were held in three different locations in Ethiopia, following delayed salaries to staff and non-payment of local government taxes.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Another IL&FS member of staff who said he was being hostage, Khurram Imam, wrote on Twitter they were facing "lots of problems like foods, water, electricity".</p>.<p class="bodytext">Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the tweets or claims made by people saying they were held hostage.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Raghuwanshi did not respond to an email seeking comment while Imam could not be reached for a comment. </p>