New Delhi: A chilling wave of fear has gripped three Indian families after an Al-Qaeda-linked terror group abducted their loved ones in Mali and demanded ransom for their release. Among the kidnapped are P Venkataraman from Odisha’s Ganjam district, Amareswar from Telangana, and Ramana from Andhra Pradesh — all employees of the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes city, West Africa.

The abduction took place on July 1, during a brazen armed attack on the factory, owned by Hyderabad-based Prasaditya Group. Speaking to ANI, Venkataraman’s brother-in-law shared the family’s anguish. “Venkat last spoke to me on June 30. He warned that the company had stopped them from going out because terrorists were nearby. Initially, the company claimed he was in police custody after the factory was torched. Later, they admitted he’d been kidnapped and told us not to reveal anything publicly, saying terrorists were demanding ransom,” he recounted.

The silence proved unbearable. After several desperate calls and emails to the Indian embassy in Bamako went unanswered, the family finally lodged a police complaint. “I just want my brother-in-law to come back home safely,” the relative pleaded.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed grave concern, condemning the attack as “deplorable” and confirming that the Indian embassy is in “close and constant communication” with Malian authorities, law enforcement agencies, and the factory management. Meanwhile, local administration in Odisha assured that the government is “taking necessary steps” to secure the workers’ release.

Security agencies suspect the abduction was masterminded by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a notorious Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the Sahel region. Although no group has formally claimed responsibility, intelligence officials in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have confirmed the identities of the abducted men.

Senior executives from the Prasaditya Group have reportedly flown to Mali to aid negotiations, but the company’s chairman, Motaparti Siva Rama Prasad, declined to comment on the unfolding crisis.

As the families wait in torment, one demand echoes loud and clear: “Bring them back!”