Sailor’s mom appeals to Prez: Get back my son safely

ibune News Service

Rohtak, May 16

Usha Hooda (45), a resident of the district’s Aasan village, has urged President Ramnath Kovind to ensure that five Indian sailors, including her son, allegedly kidnapped by pirates in Nigeria are rescued and brought back to India safely.

In a letter to the President sent through the DC, Usha has maintained that her son Ankit Hooda (20) works as a seaman on a merchant ship in Nigeria. He was among seven sailors — five Indians and two Nigerians — allegedly kidnapped on April 19.

“We requested Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to ensure the rescue of the sailors, but to no avail,” Ankit’s mother says in the letter. Usha told The Tribune she and members of her family had been seeking time from the office of the Foreign Minister, but they had not been able to meet her to date.