E-Paper
Family of Indian national abducted in Niger seek govt's help: ‘He has 3 little children'
Ranjit Singh was working at a construction site on July 15 when unidentified gunmen attacked, killing two Indians and abducting him.
The family of Ranjit Singh, an Indian national who has been abducted in Niger's Dosso region, has sought help from the government to bring their son back.
Ranjit Singh, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, was working at a construction site on July 15 when unidentified gunmen attacked, killing two Indians and abducting him.
According to Niger media, unidentified gunmen attacked an Army unit guarding a construction site in Dosso, about 130 kilometres from capital Niamey.
Ranjit Singh's father, Mohan Lal Sen, has urged the Government of India to take immediate action to secure his son's release
“We want to tell Modiji to act on it, the Government of India should work to bring him back. We have been suffering for the last 5-6 days. He has little children. We are very worried about him- where is he abducted, has he eaten anything or not?” Mohan Lal Sen told ANI news agency.
Ranjit Singh's mother said that the family is worried about his whereabouts and urged the government to bring her son back from Niger.
"Please bring my son back. I want him back. I haven't slept in nights or eaten anything. When will my son come back?" Sadhu Devi told ANI. "We are very worried about his whereabouts. He has three small children, they are also worried. We want our son to come back home safe and sound."
The Indian Embassy in Niamey said that it is in touch with the local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of those killed and ensure the safe release of Singh.
“…Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Mission in Niamey is in touch with local authorities to repatriate mortal remains and ensure the safe release of the abducted Indian. All Indians in Niger are advised to remain vigilant,” the Indian embassy said.
‘Last spoke on WhatsApp’
Ranjit Singh's wife, Sheela Devi, said that her husband was working as a senior safety officer at Transrail Lighting Limited, an integrated power transmission and distribution company.
She told PTI that the family lost contact with him on July 15 and that she learnt about his husband's abduction from his friend the next day.
"It has been four days since then. I believe that there is no effort to secure my husband's release from his captors," Devi, a mother of three children, told the news agency.
She alleged that her repeated attempts to reach out to the company were being met with a cold response. "I do not know what kind of situation my husband is in. I do not have any idea about the efforts of the local government," she said.
