Kangra trio held hostage by Nigerian pirates: As ransom deadline ends, govt assures families of help

“Every moment is killing me inside. I keep looking at the clock day and night, imagining Sushil’s plight. We worry about his safety in a foreign land. They (pirates) may start torturing him, harm or starve the hostages,” Raghubir tells The Indian Express.

Sushil, the ship captain hailing from Nagrota Surian of Kangra district, Pankaj Kumar from Nagrata Bhagwan, and Ajay Kumar from Palampur of Himachal Pradesh are believed to have been abducted by Nigerian pirates. All three work with M/s Max Marine Services, a Cotonou (Benin)-based shipping company.

Pankaj is the only son of a family that is below the poverty line. His ailing father Ved Prakash, who recently had a kidney transplant, learnt about his son’s abduction from Raghubir.

Ved Prakash’s monthly medical expenses add up to Rs 10,000-15,000. He got his daughter married in February, hoping that Pankaj would arrive with the much-needed money. They had to borrow money for the wedding.

“Should we borrow more for my son’s release or for my health? At one point we were starving. It was then that Pankaj decided to go sailing to make our lives better,” Ved Prakash tells The Indian Express.

Ajay Kumar’s parents are also pinning their hopes on Raghubir’s efforts for the trio’s return, and refused to talk about the issue. “Please leave us. I have nothing to say,” his sister disconnects the phone.

The deadline for meeting the ransom demand ended on Monday. The pirates reportedly made another call on Wednesday and told the families to hasten the payment process. “What is your problem? Give us money, give it fast man,” one of the pirates said in English, Raghubir recalls.

Sushil’s younger brother Vinay Kumar says the family did not know about the abduction until Sushil called on March 12 to say he needed money immediately. Finally on March 18, he admitted the abduction in a call from a satellite phone. A pirate reportedly also spoke, demanding the ransom.

According to Vinay, Sushil said the pirates had taken them to thickly forested areas and kept them hostage. He added that the family had contacted MEA officials, who had conveyed that they were in the process of getting the men released.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has assured Sushil’s father of help, saying that the matter has been taken up with Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. Swaraj’s private secretary called to update the family on contact having been established with the Nigerian embassy, which was working on backchannel efforts.

“We are keeping the MEA updated on calls and conversations,” says Vinay, an engineer with a private company in Baddi (Solan).

Former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar, the local MP, says he has spoken to Swaraj twice. “They have traced the ship and contacted the owners of the shipping company, who have been told to engage pirates in negotiations,” he says.