Lakshmikanth (37), a native of Raichur, was among the four Indian nationals allegedly kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) terrorist group at a checkpoint near Sirte, Libya, on Wednesday.
A post-graduate in Instrumental Technology and a PhD holder, Mr. Lakshmikanth was working as an Assistant Professor at University of Sirte in Libya since September 2009.
According to family members, the four Indians were returning from Indian Embassy at Tripoli to Sirte after completing their passport-visa related work when they were kidnapped on July 29 at about 4.25 p.m. local time (IST 7.55 pm).
“He talked to us over 30 minutes before he was kidnapped. My son and his colleagues were travelling in a taxi when they were stopped and latter kidnapped. The taxi driver, Abdulla, who was sent back, informed some of the Indians working in the University about the kidnap and they in turn informed us. What taxi driver told was the last information about the abducted,” Mr. Ramakrishna, the father of Mr. Lakshmikanth, told The Hindu at his home at Ashapur Road in Raichur.
Mr. Lakshmikanth is an eldest son of Mr. Ramakrishna who worked as a bank manager at Cash Administrative Cell in Raichur regional branch of State Bank of Hyderabad before retiring in September last year.
Mr. Lakshmikanth had settled at Libyan costal city, Sirte, along with his wife Pratibha. The couple were living in a rented flat, about four kms from University of Sirte. He had come to Raichur last August along with his 6-month pregnant wife Pratibha, a BAMS graduate. He soon returned to Libya leaving his wife in Raichur home for delivery. He could not visit his wife again when she delivered their first child five months back. Pratibha is now living with her five-month-old baby girl at her in-laws’ home in Raichur. When The Hindu visited their home, she was pleading with an officer at Minister of External Affairs, over phone, to bring her husband safely.
Hailing from a scheduled caste community in Hospet village in Raichur taluk, Lakshmikanth completed his B.Sc from LVD College in Raichur and M.Sc in Instrumental Technology from Yeragera Post-graduate Centre of Gulbarga University, about 17 kms from Raichur. He did his PhD from the same university on applied electronics. He then served as a guest lecturer in Yeragera post-graduate centre of Gulbarga University between 2006 and 2009 before leaving for Libya.
“Lakshmikanth was a bright and obedient student. He always concentrated on his studies to achieve the goals he set for himself,” Prof. P. Bhaskar, a post-graduate lecturer of Lakshmikant and present special officer at Yeragera post-graduate centre told The Hindu .
