A 34-year-old Odia man who was held captive for over six weeks in conflict-torn Sudan returned home safely on Wednesday, ending weeks of anxiety for his family and prompting an emotional reception at Bhubaneswar airport.

Adarsh Behera, a native of Kotakana village in Jagatsingpur district, was welcomed by relatives at Biju Patnaik International Airport, where emotional scenes unfolded as he reunited with his family. He hugged his three-year-old son moments after stepping out of the terminal, while his parents broke down on seeing him after weeks of uncertainty.

“Finally, I am home. I have got a new lease of life. My ordeal is over,” said an emotional Adarsh, father of two sons.

Recounting his ordeal, Adarsh said he was abducted by 15 to 20 armed members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rebel paramilitary group engaged in Sudan’s civil war, while he was trying to move to a safer location with two others, including the owner of the company where he worked. The others were released as they were locals, but Adarsh was taken away.

“They kept me in a dense forest for two to three days. During that time, I was beaten and tortured. Later, I was shifted to a confined place, like a jail. Food was given depending on their mood. I never thought I would survive,” he said.

He added that the captors often asked him strange questions. “They would ask if I knew Shah Rukh Khan or whether I had met him. I tried to answer everything calmly. Once I was moved to the jail, they stopped beating me, which was a relief. Still, every moment I prayed to return to my land and reunite with my family.”

Adarsh had earlier worked in Mumbai before moving to Sudan in 2022 in search of better prospects. He was employed as a machine operator in a plastic factory there.

On October 29, the family received a distressing voice message from him saying he had been abducted by an armed group involved in the civil war. Soon after, his employer shared a video showing Adarsh surrounded by armed men at a deserted location, confirming the seriousness of the situation and plunging the family into fear.

With no further communication possible, the family lodged a complaint at Tirtol police station on November 4. The next day, they met chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and submitted written representations seeking urgent intervention.

On November 6, another voice message from Adarsh revealed that he was being held at Mina Jail in Al-Fashir city of Darfur State by the RSF. He said his release was possible if coordination could be established between the Indian Embassy and the Red Cross.

“Efforts were made continuously for his release. Letters and reminders were sent to the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian diplomatic missions and international humanitarian organisations, including ICRC offices in New Delhi, Sudan and New Zealand,” said social worker and former Red Cross secretary Major (Dr) Kalpana Das.

Relieved after her husband’s return, Adarsh’s wife, Sasmita Behera, said: “By the grace of Lord Jagannath, my husband has returned safely. I request the chief minister to help arrange a job for him in a plastic factory within the state so that he does not have to go abroad again.”

Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi thanked the ministry of external affairs and the Indian Embassy in Sudan for facilitating Adarsh’s return. “We were in constant touch with the ministry of external affairs to ensure his release. The safety and well-being of every Odia, whether within the state or abroad, is our government’s top priority,” he said.