HYDERABAD: The two assistant professors from Hyderabad, Balram Kishan and Gopikrishna, were abducted in the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte in Libya by none other than their own students. “The captors were our students... some aged only 13-17. I had even failed some of them in exams but they treated us very well. Their Sheikh (boss) told me the other two will be fine and there is nothing to worry about,” Lakshmikant Ramakrishna, also an assistant professor at the University of Sirte, said Tuesday.
Lakshmikant, who was released along with his colleague Vijay Kumar, arrived at the Shamshabad international airport here in the morning. Lakshmikant, a native of Raichur in Karnataka, and Vijay Kumar from Bengaluru were abducted along with the two Hyderabadis by suspected militants in Sirte a few days back.
Lakshmikant said the abductors had given him a mobile SIM card and instructed him to send a message to them after landing in Hyderabad. “I have to convey a message in Arabic but the SIM is not working. I hope international channels will air it (my arrival here),” he said.
The 37-year old said some of his former students, who were among the militants, had recognised him and Vijay Kumar and paved the way for their release. Speaking to reporters, Sreedevi, Balram’s wife, said “They (militants) told Lakshmikant that they will release the other two also”. The worried family members of Balram and Gopikrishna met Lakshmikant at the airport to get more information. Interestingly, Lakshmikant said his abductors had admitted that kidnapping them was a mistake.
Lakshmikant and his three colleagues, including the two Hyderabadis, were on way to Tunis on July 29 to catch a flight to India when they were abducted at a checkpoint 50 km from Sirte. Lakshmikant also visited Balram’s family. Gopikrishna’s brother Muralikrishna, who accompanied him, said the militants had blocked tickets so that they could return home on the same ticket from Tunis.
“Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar were in a car which crossed the checkpoint but Balram and Gopi were stopped by the militants. Then Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar went back but they too were taken into custody. The abductors treated them with respect and on their release, accompanied them to Tunis. They even blocked flight tickets so that they could return without buying new tickets,” said Muralikrishna.