Last call on his Birthday: Family in agony as JNIM abducts Telangana worker in Mali
Hyderabad: What began as a joyous birthday quickly turned to horror for the family of Kurakula Amaralingeswara Rao, a Telangana native working in Mali. On July 1—his special day—all contact with him abruptly ceased. By the next morning, their worst fears came true: Rao was kidnapped during a militant attack at the Diamond Cement factory in Kayes, western Mali. His loved ones were left in anguish.
Reports later confirmed that three hostages were taken. They included two Indian nationals from the Telugu states and a Chinese national. The abduction was carried out by Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a group linked to al-Qaeda.
The family, from Adavidevulapally near Miryalaguda, recently moved to LB Nagar in Hyderabad. His wife shared her pain, saying, “My husband’s birthday was July 1. He talked to me the night before, asking about our son’s injury.” That was our last conversation,” she said.
Amaralingeswara Rao had travelled to Mali in October for work. Company officials told the family that they are working to free Rao and two other hostages. One of them is Panda Venkatramana, a 28-year-old from a Telugu-speaking family in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
P Venkatramana’s family went to Hinjili police in Odisha on Friday. They were confused by mixed updates from the company, which is said to be owned by the Hyderabad-based Prasaditya Group. Venkatramana last contacted his family on June 30. The next day, they were told he was in custody.
Venkatramana worked in Hyderabad for an escalator company. Then, he joined Bluestar. Later, he moved to Mali for a quality control role. “He stayed with us before flying out. We had no idea this could happen," said his brother-in-law, Babloo. His father passed away a few years ago. His mother, still in Odisha, is waiting anxiously for any word about her son.
The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed the abductions. They said the Indian Embassy in Bamako, Mali’s capital, is working with local authorities and the employer. Their goal is to trace and rescue the kidnapped individuals.
