Three Himachal youths freed from Nigerian pirates

Sushil had made the first call to his father on March 12 from a satellite phone to inform him that they had been kept hostage since January 31 by Nigerian pirates, who would free him and two others, Pankaj and Ajay Kumar, only on paying a ransom of 11 million naira (approximately Rs 22 lakh). Thereafter, he made two more calls, the last one on March 29, asking the family to pay them money.

Sushil, who is married and has wife and two children, was captain of a ship, working with M/s Max Marine Services, Cortnou (Benin), a company he had joined last year. Others were also employed in the same company.

On Wednesday, after Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj tweeted having got all three youths freed from pirates, Raghuvir Singh’s phone has not stopped ringing. Family friends and villagers have thronged their house conveying greetings in anticipation of his arrival this week.

Sushil’s brother Vinay Kumar, who is in Mumbai, also got a confirmation call from a Nigerian contact about the three being been released early this morning. He plans to receive all three there and accompany them homes.

“I am getting regular updates on the matter ever since he got freed. I had a brief talk with him (Sushil) through a source (he refused to disclose). Right now, they have been taken to a hospital. Their health permitting, they will go to the Indian embassy in Nigeria to complete certain legal formalities. It will take two three days for them to return home,” he said.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also said he had received a communication from Sushma Swaraj relating to the end of ordeal of three youths. “I have asked her to take steps for their safe return as their families will get satisfaction only when they are in front of their eyes,” he said.

At Nagrota Bhagwan village, Dev Prakash, the ailing father of Pankaj, said, “Mera toh eak kilo khoon badh gaya.” “God has answered our prayers. I am a kidney patient. I am not keeping well even after my kidney transplant surgery. I had borrowed from friends and relatives for my treatment and recently for my daughter’s wedding. Had something happened to him, I would have surely died of shock. Today, I heard he was safe and set to return home soon. It’s good news.”

Sushil’s parents claimed the pirates had taken all three in a forest area after kidnapping them. They used to give them food and water once a day and keep them under strict vigil of gun-totting men, who used to speak only local dialect. They had one translator to communicate in English whenever they chose to make calls for ransom.