ALAPPUZHA: A retired Indian Army person from Kayamkulam, who was taken captive by Houthi rebels in war-torn Yemen, continues to remain in their custody even after 80 days. His family is awaiting the intervention of the state and Union governments to get him released.
Anilkumar Raveendran (52), of Pathiyoor, has been held by the security forces under the Houthi-controlled Yemeni government since July 7.
He was serving as a security officer on board the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel MV Eternity C, which was attacked and later sunk in the Red Sea.
Despite repeated pleas to state and central authorities, no concrete step has been taken for his release, his family members said.
Anilkumar's wife, Sheeja, said she has submitted several memorandums to both state and Union ministers, including Minister of State Suresh Gopi, but is yet to receive any assurance of action.
"Anilkumar manages to contact us occasionally and says he is safe, staying at a hotel in Sanaa, where he is being provided food and basic facilities. But there is no clarity about when he and the 10 others in captivity, including nine Filipinos and a Greek national, will be released. We urge the Union government and community leaders to intervene, as that is the only way to secure his freedom," Sheeja said.
This is not the first time a Kayamkulam native has faced such a situation. In 2022, another seafarer, Akhil Reghu, was held by the Houthis and released after four months, following the intervention of the Indian government and the Indian Embassy in Oman.
The ill-fated MV Eternity C was on its way to the Israeli port of Eilat when it came under attack.
Houthi militants, who have intensified strikes on international shipping amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, seized the vessel and later destroyed it.
At the time, the ship carried crew members from India, the Philippines, Russia, and Greece.
Four crew members were killed in the assault, while six -- including Augustin from Parassala, Thiruvananthapuram -- were rescued by the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and repatriated within a week.
However, 11 others, including Anilkumar, remain in captivity.
Anilkumar joined the shipping company five years ago through the Palakkad-based agency Ocean Group Overseas Consultancy. He retired from the Army after 19 years of service.
Besides Sheeja, his family comprises son Anuj, a BSc emergency medicine student, and daughter Anugha, a Plus-One student.
According to the family members, the situation in Yemen is worsening as the Gaza war rages on, putting the lives of captives under further danger.
Earlier, an initiative by Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musaliar and other leaders had helped save Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, from execution, as they have contacts with religious leaders there.
Anilkumar's family said such an intervention is needed to get him released.