VOI World/ desk
Following the disappearance of 28-year-old Indian national, P. Venkatramana from Odisha’s Ganjam district, allegedly abducted by militants in Mali following an armed attack on the Diamond Cement factory in Kayes on July 1, his family got prompted to lodge a missing-person complaint given that his mother last spoke to him on June 30 and his phone went dead thereafter.
Odisha opposition leader and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik has appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for personal intervention to ensure Venkatramana’s safe return. The state government is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian embassy in Bamako, coordinating with Malian authorities, the employer’s representatives, and local agencies.
The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that three Indian nationals were taken hostage during the attack and has urged Malian authorities to take all necessary measures to secure their release. Odisha’s Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi stated that the government is still gathering details and waiting for updates.
Security officials are investigating whether the militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, is linked to the abduction. No group has yet claimed responsibility, and no demands have emerged. Meanwhile, Venkatramana’s family and the Odisha government remain anxious as they await news on his condition and safe recovery.
