Ganjam (Odisha) [India], July 6 (ANI): Brother in law of P Venkataraman, a resident of Odisha's Ganjam district who is among the three Indians abducted by an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali has said that the terrorists are demanding ransom. The brother-in-law told ANI on July 05, "Venkat last called me on June 30. He worked in a cement factory in Mali, West Africa. He said his company had stopped them from going out as terrorists were present. This kidnapping incident happened on July 1." He added that initially the company had informed them that his brother-in-law is in police custody after the terrorists set fire to the factory; however, later they came to know about the abduction and were asked not to leak the information. "We got a call from the company that he and some others are in police custody as terrorists have set the factory on fire. An international news claimed that Al-Qaeda had kidnapped some people. We called the company to confirm this, and they refused us to leak this information and said that the terrorists are demanding ransom in exchange for the people," he said.
