New Delhi: Keralite IT engineer Reji Joseph, who was abducted by unidentified assailants in Libya in March this year, has been rescued, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said.
“Indian Embassy in Libya has secured the release of Regi Joseph - an Indian national from Kerala. He was abducted in March this year.
“This has been possible with the efforts of Mr.Azar A.H.Khan our Ambassdor in Libya,” she added.
Meanwhile, Reji Joseph's brother expressed happiness over the government securing his 'release'.
Jojo, younger brother of Reji, said: "We are happy, of course... Our sincere thanks to our External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and the officials of Indian Embassy at Tripoli for their continued efforts for the last three months," he told PTI at Kozhikode.
"I contacted Reji and came to know that he is reunited with the family now. But his passport and other important documents are with the abductors. Hopefully, he will be getting them with the help of the officials after a few days as Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations are going on," he said.
Regi, his wife and three minor daughters, are at Tripoli, he added.
Reji Joseph, a native of Perambra in Kozhikode, went missing in March.
Reji was abducted along with three of his colleagues by a militant group, earlier reports had said. They went missing since March 31.
Reji has been working in Libya along with his family for two years. His wife is a nurse there and they have three children. The news of the abduction was passed on to the relatives in Kerala by Reji's wife.
Reji was assigned with a project of the civilian registration authority (CRA). Reji was working as a computer engineer near the Libyan capital Tripoli.
The then Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy had sought Sushma Swaraj's help to secure the release of Reji.
(With agency inputs)
