Efforts on to secure release of kidnapped Indians in Sudan

New Delhi, May 21 (UNI) The External Affairs Ministry today said it was making all efforts to secure the release of four Indian nationals who were abducted along with their Sudanese driver on May 13 near Heglig, Sudan.

The four victims are P K Abhilash from Kerala, Mohammed Aseeb Shaik from Gorakhpur, Biplab Biswas from Kolkata, and Surjit Singh from Amritsar.

They are employed with Petro Energy Contracting Services, an Indian-owned Sudanese company engaged in providing services to the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company of which ONGC Videsh is a consortium member.

Petro Energy owner Mohammed Arif Khan is in touch with the relatives of the four persons in India. The Indian Ambassador to Sudan is in daily touch with the authorities concerned there including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior, a Ministry spokesman said.

On May 19, the Ambassador of Sudan in New Delhi, with whom the Ministry has been in contact over the matter, was summoned by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs and was urged to convey Government of India's concern over the incident and to urgently secure the release of the four workers.

''The Ministry continues to closely monitor developments,'' he said.

UNI SN RP RN1743