Indian Embassy in contact with Niger for Ranjit Singh's safe release: MEA

Indian workers Ganesh Karmali and Krishna Gupta, who were killed in the attack, have had their mortal remains repatriated to India, according to the MEA

The Indian Embassy in Niger is in regular contact with local authorities for the safe release of Ranjeet Singh, an Indian national abducted during a terror attack in the West African country last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Ranjeet Singh, a resident of Ramban district in Jammu and Kashmir, was kidnapped on July 15 during an attack at a construction site in Niger's Dosso region.

Two other Indian workers, Ganesh Karmali and Krishna Gupta, lost their lives in the attack. Their mortal remains have already been repatriated to India, as per MEA.

Providing the latest update, Union Minister Jitendra Singh shared a letter from the MEA on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, "Latest update regarding Ranjit Singh from district Ramban, who had gone missing in Niger. The Indian embassy is in regular contact with the host government for the safety and release of Ranjit Singh. Every effort is being made to obtain information about the whereabouts and safety of Ranjit Singh as early as possible.

In the statement issued by Ravi Singh Thakur, PS to Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, it was mentioned that Indian officials have been actively engaging with senior leaders of the Nigerien government.

"I met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 16, called on the Minister of Interior on July 24, and the Minister for Commerce and Industries on July 30," Thakur wrote.

He said during these meetings, requests were made to share information on the safety and location of Ranjeet Singh and to ensure his early release. However, no specific update on his whereabouts has been received so far. A fresh diplomatic note requesting an update on the case was also sent recently.

"The Ministry will keep informed of the developments," the letter concluded.