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| Iraq crisis: No trace of Jammu youth | | Family fears abduction, awaits phone call | | Kunal Shrivatsa
JAMMU, June 19: Ever since the news report of alleged kidnapping of 40 Indian construction workers in strife-torn Iraq hit headlines on print and electronic media, a pall of gloom has descended on a family residing in Ganga Gali of Krishan Nagar locality of Miran Sahib on city outskirts.
The news reports regarding abduction of Indians came like a bolt from the blue for the members of Choudhary family, who were otherwise awaiting arrival of their kin Rajesh Kumar Choudhary, 34, who is working as a crane operator in a construction company in Basra city of Iraq.
Going through anxious moments since last evening, the family members are a worried lot over the fate of Rajesh as they could not establish a contact with him despite repeated attempts.
The family members of Rajesh apprehend that their son has allegedly been 'abducted' since he is 'untraceable' after he stuck in Basra city for the past several days.
"My father interacted with Rajesh on phone around ten days ago…It was the last communication by anyone from the family with him (Rajesh)," said Rajesh's elder brother, Raj Kumar.
"After that we didn't pay much attention to Rajesh's phone call as we thought that he might have been busy with his job but when we heard the news of 40 Indian workers were held hostage by militants in Iraq, tried to get in touch with Rajesh but to no avail as his phone is on switched off mode… We fear that he may be in some sort of serious trouble," he added.
Rajesh, who went to Iraq to work in a construction company in Basra city about two years ago, has not visited his hometown Miran Sahib since then.
Eagerly awaiting a phone call from her husband, Rajesh's wife Reena Kumari, 26, with tears rolling down her cheeks told Early Times that he was scheduled to come home soon but due to the volatile situation in Iraq, he got trapped there.
"I am crestfallen and could not express my sorrow… He left home in September 2012 and since then he never came back… Now my husband was expected to join us as he had to attend a marriage ceremony here… All of us in the family are anxiously waiting to hear his voice but till now we couldn't establish a contact…May the Almighty protect him and send him home hale and hearty," said a sobbing, Reena.
Holding her two and a half years old son Divam, Rajesh's wife said, "My son has never seen his dad as Divam was too little when my husband left for Iraq… Divam is not even aware of what has happened."
Reena further informed that before their marriage in December 2010, Rajesh was employed in a firm in Saudi Arabia where he worked for three years.
The family of Rajesh also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help in bringing back their son, who went 'missing' in Iraq and cannot be contacted despite best efforts.
It is pertinent to mention here that 40 Indians, working in a construction company in Mosul town of Iraq, were kidnapped by militants. Most of them belong to Punjab and other northern states of the country. |
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