Kasaragod: The six-member Padna family that went to Yemen from Dubai put out a video message saying they had all the permits to be in the war-torn country.
"All my documents are clear. I took the entry permits, got the visas, and informed everybody," said the man in the 4.52-minute video released from Yemen on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Onmanorama reported that NIA made enquiries in Padna panchayat about the family's departure to Yemen four months ago. Later in the day, the man's brother-in-law filed a missing complaint with the Chandera police station.
To be sure, Indians need special permission from the Union Government to go to Yemen because of the raging conflict in the country. In 2015, the Indian government evacuated its citizens in Yemen and shifted its embassy from the capital Sana'a to neighbouring Djibouti.
The man from Padna, his wife, a native of Thalassery, and their four children, aged three, five, six, and nine years old are residents of Dubai. He works as a regional manager and trainer of a leading business consultancy in Dubai.
Onmanorama had quoted police officers saying the family went to Yemen for religious studies.
In the video, the 40-year-old man said he was at Dar al-Mustafa, a Yemeni Islamic university at Tarim in Hadhramaut. He said the university's founder Habib Umar bin Hafiz, a Sunni and Sufi Islamic scholar, was his role model and he was there to study Sufism.
"Everybody has role models. If some of you may have role models such as Messi and Ronaldo, my role model is Habib Umar. I have come here to study Sufism from him. I don't have any other goal or objectives," he said.
He said the university's classes were broadcast on Youtube and were accessible to all.
Yemen is a sought-after destination for those seeking to study Islam. Despite the conflict, foreign students continue to flock to universities in Yemen to pursue religious studies.
He said he continued to work for his company in the UAE and attended meetings online.
He said he was hurt that some media houses reported that he had joined IS. "Someone tried to become famous at my expense. I am very much hurt. If you have achieved what you set out to achieve, let us live," he said.
