Raichur’s most-awaited son, Lakshmikanth, was back on home ground at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, after his ordeal with the IS militia in Libya. He had arrived at the Hyderabad airport at 9 a.m. and travelled by road to Raichur. He was received by Raichur Deputy Commissioner S. Sasikanth Senthil at the zilla panchayat, where he interacted with media persons. A team of officials had escorted him from Hyderabad.
“Most parts of Libya are completely controlled by the Islamic State, with no civilian police force in place. Outsiders have no future there; new aspirants hoping to make a career abroad, should not go to Libya,” said Mr. Lakshmikanth, a professor serving at the University of Sirte, Libya.
“Many a time, our skin and hair colour were advantageous as they are almost similar to the locals,” he said.
Mr. Lakshmikanth said his acquaintance with one of the kidnappers, familiarity with Islamic culture and Arabic language and behaviour with the kidnappers, helped him and his colleague Vijayakumar. “They [kidnappers] were armed with AK-47 and were aged between 13 and 17. They were blind followers of their superiors. We told them we were teachers, and we would teach them when they come to the university. They treated us with respect. They did not lock our room, but guarded us. We got back all our belongings and they took us to the university. Then they called a taxi and told the driver to drop us where we wanted to go,” he recalled.
Mr. Lakshmikanth said he pleaded with the IS leader to release the other two, Gopi Krishna and Balaram Kishan. “But, they asked us to go first and they would release them later. I am hopeful that they will be released shortly.”He said he was in touch with the kidnappers after he was released through a new SIM card given by the IS leader. “We were in touch with them during our stay at the Indian Embassy. Only after we were shifted from Tripoli to Tunis, we lost their contact,” he said.
Mr. Lakshmikanth does not plan to return. “I have an open offer from the university to serve as professor. I hope that the Indian government will provide me a job here,” he said. His wife Pratibha and father Ramakrishna were present.
Vijaykumar returns The family of M.S. Vijaykumar (56) gave a collective sigh of relief on Tuesday evening, when he landed in the city.
A visibly-tired Mr. Vijaykumar, who landed around 6.50 p.m., was first debriefed at the airport by government officials before being greeted by his family around 8 p.m.
Talking to reporters at the Kempegowda International Airport, the former professor at Sirte University thanked the Indian embassy. Four Indians were travelling towards Libya’s capital Tripoli, when they were detained by IS militants on July 29. Two of them, including Mr. Vijaykumar, were released on July 31.
“They asked me whether we were Muslims and detained us when they found out we weren’t. They did not harm me. They said they respected us as we were teachers… and that I had taught their students. They asked me to return to India and follow Islam,” he said.
His wife Suneeta said, “It feels like a festival. Like we have got a new lease of life.” For their 19-year-old son, Suhas, the sighting of his father ended “hell on earth and sleepless nights.”
Ms. Suneeta said the kidnapping may not have happened if the plans for his resignation had gone according to scheme. “Last year he had resigned, but the university said he was needed to train the teachers there. He was supposed to return in January…Now, he will stay back here,” she said.
For Nagamani, the arrival of her brother allayed fears of “him never coming back” — a thought she had when she first heard of the abduction.
