Union minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said efforts are underway to secure the release of Ranjit Singh, a resident of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir, who has been abducted in Niger following a terrorist attack in the Dosso region.
“In response to continuous follow-up by my office, the Ministry of External Affairs has sent the following response based on the inputs received from the Indian Embassy in Niamay, Niger. The Indian embassy in Niamay is continuously on the job and trying to get Ranjit Singh released from the alleged kidnappers,” Singh posted on X alongside a screenshot of an email.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had also urged the Centre to intervene on Sunday.
“Chief Minister has expressed concern over the abduction of Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban, in Niger. He urges the Hon'ble EAM @DrSJaishankar and @MEAIndia to urgently intervene to secure Ranjeet's safe and swift return,” Abdullah’s office posted on X.
Singh's father Mohan Lal said on Sunday, "He last called us on July 14-15. We came to know that he had been kidnapped by terrorists. We want the central government to help us get him released. He was supposed to come to India after a month or two. We appeal to Prime Minister Modi to help us. He has three children."
Ranjeet Singh’s wife, Sheela Devi, on Saturday said her husband was working as a senior safety officer at Transrail Lighting Limited, an integrated power transmission and distribution company in Niger.
According to the Indian Embassy, the abduction took place during a terror attack in the Dosso region.
“In a heinous terror attack on July 15 in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted,” the embassy said in a social media post on Friday.
The Indian mission said it is working with local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of those killed and ensure the safe release of the abducted individual.
Local media in Niger reported that unidentified gunmen attacked an army unit guarding a construction site in Dosso, about 130 kilometres from the capital Niamey.
One of the deceased has been identified as Ganesh Karmali (39), a migrant worker from Karipani village in Bokaro district, Jharkhand.
Bokaro labour superintendent Ranji Kumar said, Karmali's body has been handed over to the Indian Embassy by the company. According to information, formalities are being completed before sending the mortal remains.