Hyderabad: Confusion and tension prevailed in the homes of Gopi Krishna and Balram Kishan — two of the four Indians abducted by ISIS in Libya — in Hyderabad on Friday. The uncertainty over their fate precipitated into panic by night following an official announcement that two of the abducted professors had been released in Libya after negotiations.
On one hand, there was no official information about who had actually kidnapped the teachers and what was the motive, while on the other hand there were announcements on TV and social media about the release of Mr Laxmikanth and Mr Vijay Kumar from Karnataka.
Glued to the TV, Ms Sridevi, wife of Mr Balram, looked petrified but strong. So were the other family members who flanked her, hoping for the best. However, Ms Sridevi did receive a message from Mr Laxmikanth, the assistant professor from Karnataka. The message read: “We are safe here in Sirte University. Do not worry.” Still, lack of official confirmation is a cause of worry, said her brother Mr Venugopal.
“I just want my husband to call me back saying that he is okay. The government has to take necessary measures for early departure to India of all the four people,” she said.
Mr Balram , the 52-year-old assistant professor of English in the University of Sirte, is a native of Karimnagar, but his wife and children have been living in Hyderabad for a long time.
Despite the turmoil, Ms Sridevi, an economics teacher at V. Srimedha College, was trying to remain strong and calm as their 12-year-old son was about to return from school and was unaware of the happenings. Their 19-year-old son pursuing B.Tech in IIT Kharagpur too wasn’t updated about the abduction of his father.
A similar situation prevailed at the house of Mr Gopi Krishna, where his brother Mr Murali Krishna was trying to get some sort of official information about the release.
“I was living with him in Libya till 2011 along with our son. He always said that the place was safe and that Libyans treated them very nicely,” said Kalyani, wife of Mr Gopi Krishna.
“We hope the government brings them back as soon as possible,” said Gopi Krishna’s mother, Ms Saraswati.
