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NDTV
14-07-2025
- NDTV
Rajasthan Man Among 3 Indians Kidnapped By Al Qaeda-Linked Group In Mali
Jaipur: Three Indian nationals, including a resident of Rajasthan, a man from Telangana, and an engineer from Odisha, were kidnapped on July 1 in the West African nation of Mali. The kidnappings took place during an armed assault by suspected terrorists affiliated with Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen (JNIM), a group linked to Al-Qaeda. The incident occurred at the Diamond Cement Factory, located in the Kayes region of western Mali. As of today, there has been no public claim of responsibility by the group, but the attack has been linked to recent operations carried out by JNIM. The group has previously targeted foreign workers, government installations, and military outposts across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. One of the victims has been identified as Prakash Chand Joshi, a native of Jaipur. Another is Amaralingeswara Rao, a 45-year-old resident of Miryalaguda, Telangana, who had been working in Mali since 2015. The third is P Venkataraman, 28, from Odisha's Ganjam district, employed with Mumbai-based Blue Star Pvt Ltd. He had been stationed at the Diamond Cement facility for about six months. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed the identities of the kidnapped individuals and stated that it is in regular contact with the Malian authorities, local law enforcement, and the families involved. Speaking from Jaipur, Suman Joshi, wife of Prakash Chand Joshi, told said that her husband was taken "forcibly by armed men" from the premises of the cement factory. There has been no direct contact with him since the kidnapping, she said. The family has reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs for assistance and has appealed to the Indian government to secure his release at the earliest. In Miryalaguda, Amaralingeswara Rao's wife Venkataramana said she was informed of the kidnapping by the company he worked for. "I last spoke to him on the night of June 30. Since then, there has been no contact. We've received no official update from the government so far," she told news agency PTI. The couple has three children, and the family has appealed publicly for intervention. In Odisha, P Narasamma, mother of Venkataraman, said she received a call from a company official on July 4 informing her that her son was "in police custody," only to later hear unconfirmed reports that he may have been abducted. "First they said he is in custody, now we hear he is in captivity," she said, visibly distressed. The Diamond Cement Factory, where the kidnapping took place, is operated by the Prasaditya Group, an Indian business conglomerate with commercial interests in several African nations. It employs foreign technical staff, including Indian nationals. The company has not issued any public statement as of July 14. The Sahel region, which includes Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has seen a steady escalation of violence since 2012, when insurgencies began to spread from northern Mali. The conflict has been fuelled by political instability, the rise of militant Islamist groups, and weak state presence in rural areas. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) earlier this year described the region as the current epicentre of global terrorism, accounting for more than half of all terrorism-related deaths globally. According to government data, approximately 400 Indian nationals currently live and work in Mali, many of them in the construction, mining, and infrastructure sectors. The Indian embassy in Bamako, the Malian capital, has been in "close and constant touch" with local authorities and law enforcement since the incident.
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Family of Jaipur man kidnapped in Mali seeks help, says MEA yet to respond directly
JAIPUR: Prakash Chandra Joshi, a 61-year-old Jaipur resident and General Manager at a cement factory in Mali, West Africa, was kidnapped on July 1 by armed assailants along with three other Indian nationals. Joshi had joined the Diamond Cement Factory in Mali just weeks earlier, on June 5. The incident is suspected to be linked to Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group that claimed responsibility for multiple attacks across Mali on the same day. Joshi's wife, Suman, spoke to the media and recounted the last conversation she had with her husband. 'He had joined the factory as General Manager on June 5. I last spoke to him on June 30. He told us he wasn't feeling well. We asked him to resign and return home,' she said. After June 30, Joshi's phone became unreachable. 'We initially thought it might be a network or electricity issue – which is common in African countries. But on July 2, our daughter received a call from the company's HR informing us that he had been kidnapped. We were shocked. How could we have imagined something like this?' Suman added. According to the family, Joshi had gone to the factory for his assignments on the morning of July 1 when the attack occurred. 'Hundreds of armed men stormed the factory, opened fire, and set parts of it on fire. In the chaos, they abducted three people. They left in the car provided to Papa by the company,' said a family member.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Time of India
Jaipur man among 3 Indians abducted in Mali terror attack
Jaipur: A 61-year-old Jaipur resident working at a cement factory in the West African nation of Mali went missing after being abducted during a coordinated terrorist attack on July 1. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The victim, Prakash Chandra Joshi, a resident of Akshardham Chauraha in Vaishali Nagar, joined the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes city of Mali on June 5. His family said they were informed of the abduction by company officials and have since reached out to the Indian Embassy in Mali and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi. In a statement issued on July 2, MEA expressed deep concern over the abduction of three Indian nationals employed at the cement factory and confirmed that multiple military and govt facilities across western and central Mali were targeted in the July 1 terror attack. "The Embassy of India in Bamako is in close and constant communication with relevant authorities of the Government of Mali, local law enforcement agencies, and the management of the Diamond Cement Factory. The Mission is also in touch with the families of the abducted Indian nationals," the MEA said. MEA also said that the senior ministry officials are closely monitoring the evolving situation and remain engaged at various levels to facilitate the safe and early release of Indian nationals. Family members said they were worried about the safety of Joshi ever since the incident came to their notice. They added that they were informed about the matter by the factory officials about the attack. Besides Joshi, two other factory workers are also suspected to have been abducted by the suspects during the terrorist attack. With their patience running thin, the family has been meeting with their local MPs and said that they want Joshi to be evacuated as soon as possible.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Time of India
Why did al-Qaida linked terrorist group abduct Indians in Mali? Relative shares chilling account
The family of P Venkataraman , a resident of Odisha's Ganjam district and one of the three Indians kidnapped by an al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Mali, has said that the abductors are demanding ransom. Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Venkataraman's brother-in-law said, 'Venkat last called me on June 30. He worked at a cement factory in Mali, West Africa. He said the company had restricted their movement because terrorists were nearby. This kidnapping happened on July 1.' Initially, the family was informed that Venkataraman was in police custody following a fire at the factory allegedly set by terrorists. However, they later learned that he had been abducted. 'We got a call from the company saying he and some others were in police custody because terrorists had set the factory on fire. But then international news reports claimed that al-Qaeda had kidnapped people. When we called the company to confirm, they asked us not to leak the information and said the terrorists were demanding ransom,' the brother-in-law said. He added, 'We waited for a few days and then approached the police. I also called and emailed the embassy but got no response. I demand that my brother-in-law be brought back home safely.' Live Events Confirming the incident, Sub-Collector Shibashish Baral told ANI, 'Information about the abduction was reported by the family, and the local administration immediately reached out to them. The government has been informed and is taking necessary steps.' The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed grave concern over the abduction of the three Indian workers from a factory in Mali's Kayes region. In a statement on Wednesday, the MEA urged Malian authorities to ensure their "safe and expeditious" rescue. 'It has come to the knowledge of the Government of India that many military and government installations at multiple locations in western and central Mali were attacked by terrorists on July 1,' the MEA said. The assault also targeted the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes, where the Indian nationals were employed. Calling the act 'deplorable,' the MEA condemned the incident and reiterated India's strong opposition to violence against its citizens abroad. It said the Indian embassy in Bamako is in 'close and constant communication' with Malian authorities, law enforcement, and the management of the Diamond Cement Factory, as well as with the families of the abducted individuals. With inputs from ANI
The Print
06-07-2025
- The Print
Odisha youth abducted by Al-Qaeda in Mali says terrorists demanding ransom
He added that initially the company had informed them that his brother-in-law is in police custody after the terrorists set fire to the factory; however, later they came to know about the abduction and were asked not to leak the information. The brother-in-law told ANI on Saturday, 'Venkat last called me on June 30. He worked in a cement factory in Mali, West Africa. He said his company had stopped them from going out as terrorists were present. This kidnapping incident happened on July 1.' Ganjam (Odisha) : Brother in law of P Venkataraman, a resident of Odisha's Ganjam district who is among the three Indians abducted by an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali has said that the terrorists are demanding ransom. 'We got a call from the company that he and some others are in police custody as terrorists have set the factory on fire. An international news claimed that Al-Qaeda had kidnapped some people. We called the company to confirm this, and they refused us to leak this information and said that the terrorists are demanding ransom in exchange for the people,' he said. 'We waited for a few days and then complained to the police. I called and mailed the embassy, but did not get any response. I demand that my brother-in-law be brought back home safely,' Venkataraman's brother-in-law told ANI. Earlier on Saturday, Sub-Collector Shibashish Baral told ANI, 'Information about the abduction of a person was reported by the kin, and immediately, the local administration reached them. It has been informed that the government is taking necessary steps.' Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed deep concern over the abduction of three Indian workers from a factory in Mali's Kayes region and urged authorities in the West African country to ensure their 'safe and expeditious' rescue. 'It has come to the knowledge of the Government of India that many military and government installations at multiple locations of western and central Mali were attacked by terrorists on July 1,' the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday. The armed attack took place at the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes. Condemning the incident, the MEA said the Indian embassy in Bamako is in constant contact with local authorities, security agencies, and the families of the abducted workers. In its statement, the MEA described the act as 'deplorable' and reaffirmed India's strong stand against violence targeting its citizens abroad. 'The Embassy of India in Bamako is in close and constant communication with the relevant authorities of the Government of Mali, local law enforcement agencies, as well as the management of Diamond Cement Factory,' the MEA statement read.
