Kerala minister pitches in for release of abducted Indian

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala’s Port Minister V.Surendran Pillai, currently on a visit to South Africa, has met the Indian high commissioner in Pretoria and sought information on efforts to free a kidnapped Indian restaurant owner.

Speaking to IANS over phone from Pretoria, Pillai said he visited Indian Ambassador Virendra Gupta and was told that police were making every effort to trace Nidhin Baby, who hails from Kerala’s Wayanad town.

Nidhin, 27, was kidnapped Monday when he was returning to his home in Pretoria from Johannesburg. He has been in Pretoria for the past six years and runs a restaurant there.

“Gupta told me that they have got information that the calls that are being made to the home of Nidhin in Wayanad were from phones outside of South Africa and hence it is a bit difficult to trace out the caller, but they are doing their best,” said Pillai.

The kidnappers first called up Nidhin’s home in Wayanad hours after the kidnapping and asked his father to pay Rs.10 million, or his son would be killed.

“Since then they have been calling every day and today (Friday) they have called and told that tomorrow (Saturday) they will be giving the bank account number and a payment of Rs.2.5 million would have to be remitted,” said an aide of Kerala’a Leader of Opposition Oommen Chandy. Chandy’s office has been coordinating with Keralites settled in South Africa for Nidhin’s release.