Telugu professor still in ISIS' captivity
Professor Gopikrishna was kidnapped in last July.
Visakhapatnam: Family members of professor T. Gopikrishna, 40, who was kidnapped by suspected ISIS terrorists in Libya a year ago, are hopeful that he would return safely.
They have decided to meet Union ministers and a few others again requesting them to take steps for release of the professor.
Though the government made some efforts for release of Prof. Gopi krishna, it proved futile as the kidnappers are yet to announce their demands and release him.
Prof. Gopikrishna from Tekkali in Srikakulam district was kidnapped along with three Indians, Prof. Balaram Kishan of Telangana, Mr Laksh-mikanth and Mr Vijay Kumar when they were returning to India from Tripoli on July 29 last year.
While Mr Lakshmikanth and Mr Vijay Kumar of Karnataka were released after two days in captivity, Prof. Gopikrishna and his friend Prof. Kishan were held captive and there has been no news about them.
Prof. Gopikrishna is an assistant professor of Computer Science at Sirte University while Prof. Kishan from Karimnagar teaches English in the same varsity.
“We have been receiving phone calls from the Ministry of External Affairs officials and each time we get the standard answer that Gopikrishna is safe and efforts are being made to ensure his and his friend’s release. We are still hopeful about their safe return; however we have not got any picture or phone call from him. We are still in the dark about the demands of the kidnappers,” says Gopikrishna's elder brother T. Murali Krishna, resident of Hyderabad.