• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Two Indians were killed and one abducted following a terrorist attack in south-west Niger, said the Indian Embassy in Niamey. "In a heinous terror attack on 15 July in Niger's Dosso region, two Indian nationals tragically lost their lives and one was abducted," the Embassy posted on social media on Friday. Unidentified gunmen attacked an army unit guarding a construction site in Dosso, about 130 kilometres from the capital Niamey, local media reported.

The Indian mission said it is working with local authorities to repatriate the mortal remains of those killed. The embassy is also working to "ensure safe release" of the Indian abducted. Indians in the West African nation are also advised by the mission to remain vigilant.
Citing officials, The Indian Express reported that one of the workers killed was 39-year-old Ganesh Karmali, a resident of Jharkhand's Bokaro.

Kashmiri man abduced in Niger

The other has been identified only as Krishnan from a southern Indian state, said an activist from Jharkhand who has been working on the repatriation of the bodies, as per The Indian Express report. Activist Sikandar Ali alleged that the abducted worker was identified as Ranjit Singh, a native of Jammu and Kashmir.

ALSO READ: Nigeria Bus Crash: 21 Young Athletes Die In Fatal Accident After National Sports Event

Karmali, an Indian worker employed by Transrail Lighting Ltd, was caught in a crossfire between local police and militants in Dosso city, Niger, while working on a transmission line. He was killed on the spot. Karmali's brother-in-law, Premlal Karmali, who worked at the same site, was injured and is currently under police protection in Niger. Four other migrant workers from Jharkhand are also safe and seeking to return home. Karmali, a resident of Karipani village in Jharkhand's Gomia block, had been working in Dosso for about a year, reported The Indian Express.

Family seeks full compensation

Sapna Kumari, 20, daughter of the deceased Karmali, alleged that the contractor is trying to cheat her family out of compensation. "My father had assured us that the company insurance cover was worth Rs 40 lakh, but now the contractor is saying they will only give us Rs 12 lakh," she claimed. Sapna said her family was pressured into signing papers without being contacted directly by the company. "We just want justice and for my father's body to return with dignity," she said, fighting back tears.

ALSO READ: PM Modi Conferred With Nigeria's Second-Highest National Award; Tells Diaspora, 'Indians Take Pride In Your Growth'

A father's promise unkept

Sapna, who got married on July 2, revealed that her father had promised to attend a family gathering on July 20. "My father couldn't attend my wedding, but he had promised to come soon. My family is shattered, especially my mother, Yashoda Devi. I have a two-year-old brother and a four-year-old sister who are too young to understand this tragedy," The Indian Express quoted Sapna as saying.

(With inputs from agency)