THOOTHUKUDI/TENKASI: The family members of five workers who were abducted by an armed group in the west African country of Mali petitioned district collector of Thoothukudi K Elambahavath and District Revenue Officer S Jayachandran in Tenkasi respectively during the grievance meeting on Monday, seeking steps to secure their release at the earliest. The family members said their immediate concern was information about the safety of the workers.
According to sources, P Ponnudurai (41) of Naraikinaru, S Puthiyavan (52) of Kodiankulam and M Petchimuthu (42) of Kalappaipatti in Thoothukudi district, Esakki Raja (36) of Muthukrishnapuram and Thalapathy Suresh (26) of Kadayanallur were abducted by an armed group allegedly linked to Al-qaeda and Islamic state terror outfits, from their residence at Kobri on the night of November 6. Their families were informed by the employer, in Chennai, the next day. They went to Mali in March on behalf of a Chennai based electrical company.
Esakki Raja's wife Praveena (28) said they came to know about the incident when Kadayanallur police informed them. "My husband went abroad due to our family situation through Mariappan of Kovilpatti. He was working for Transrail Lighting Company, which is involved in electricity transmission and distribution," she said.
The father of Thalapathy, M Murugesan of Kadayanallur said he last spoke with his son on November 5. " We have not heard from him since then, and we fear for his safety. The remaining workers who were with my son have been shifted to a military base," he said.
Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate steps to secure the release of the workers and ensure their safe return.
The Indian embassy in Mali stated that offcials were working closely with Mali authorities and the company concerned to secure the release of the workers.