Raman Singh assures all help for engineer's release

Chief Minister Raman Singh has assured the parents of Sahu that the state would pursue the matter with the External Affairs Ministry and all possible efforts would be made for the safe release of Sahu from the captivity of Somali pirates, official sources said here today.

The Chief Minister said he would ask the Centre for facilitating fast release of Pritam and 17 other Indian nationals held in captivity.

Pritam's parents - Lokdas and Kalyani Sahu met the chief minister at his residence last night in connection with the incident, sources said.

His father told the CM that Pritam joined the Shipping Corporation of India for engineering cadet training.

He said Pritam had called him up on March 1 this year and informed that he was being sent to Nigeria from Dubai in a ship.

However, on June 11, some officials of Intelligence Bureau came to their Rajnandgaon residence and informed that Pritam had been abducted near Somalia from a ship in which he was going to Nigeria.

On June 12, Pritam called his father saying that he had not been released by the pirates.

Besides Pritam, 17 other Indian nationals are also held captive by Somali pirates, including Sahu's friend Saurabh, from Meerut.

Sources said Pritam's father Lokdas Sahu told the Chief Minister that he was working as a revenue inspector in Rajnandgaon and that he had been transferred to Dhamtari. He request Singh to withdraw his transfer order in view of the abduction of his son.

The Chief Minister has said in view of the difficult times being faced by Pritam's family, the transfer of his father has been cancelled and necessary instructions would be issued to the revenue department in this regard, sources added.