HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao exerted himself in getting six Telangana residents released from a jail in Malaysia. The residents, hailing from Lingapur of Kadam mandal and Munyal of Dasturabad mandal in Adilabad, had travelled to the Southeast Asian country in pursuit of livelihoods. They have reportedly returned home after a year.
Rama Rao directed his party leaders and Khanapur in-charge Bhukya Johnson Naik to make arrangements for their release.
Johnson Naik met the families and interacted with them to understand the severity of their plight. He travelled to Malaysia in March, where he met with the imprisoned individuals — Rachakonda Naresh, Talari Bhaskar, Gurujala Shankar, Gurijala Rajeshwar, Gunda Srinivas (from Lingapur) and Yamunoori Ravinder (from Munyal) — and assured them of his efforts to secure the release.
Johnson Naik learned that they had been arrested under arms-related charges due to a lack of awareness of local laws. He hired legal counsel at his own expense and expedited the legal proceedings.
In May, he again visited Malaysia, paid the court-imposed fines from his own funds, arranged their flight tickets, and successfully brought them back to India.
On Wednesday, the rescued individuals met Rama Rao at the latter’s residence in Nandinagar along with Johnson Naik. Overwhelmed with emotion, they shared how they had lost hope of ever seeing their families again. They credited Rama Rao and Johnson Naik for their safe return and pledged lifelong gratitude.
They also told Rama Rao how countries like China promptly secured the release of their citizens within a week, while neither the Indian Embassy nor the Telangana government took any initiative in their case.