An Indian youth running a restaurant in Pretoria, South Africa, was abducted on Monday by an unidentified group, which has demanded Rs.1 crore in ransom.
Nidhin K. Baby, 27, son of Baby of Kalleppara at Palakkamoola near Kariambadi, who has been running the restaurant for the past six years, was abducted while returning to Pretoria from Johannesburg after meeting his friends there.
Mr. Baby, a retired schoolteacher, told The Hindu that he got a phone call from his son at 2 a.m. on Monday, informing him of the abduction, after a call suspected to be from the anonymous abductors. Nidhin informed him that his life would be in danger if the family did not give the ransom.
Nidhin also informed Mr. Baby that he would contact him again, at 10 p.m. on Tuesday, and that the abductors had warned him that the issue should not be conveyed to the Indian embassy or the government.
“We have submitted memoranda to Union Minister for Overseas India Affairs Vayalar Ravi, the Chief Minister of Kerala and the India Embassy, seeking immediate intervention of the authorities,” Mr. Baby said.
But the Meenangadi police said they had not received any complaint.
