External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said Santosh Bhardwaj, an Indian who was kidnapped by pirates near Nigeria in March, has been rescued.
"I am extremely happy to inform that Santosh Bhardwaj has been rescued from pirates in Nigeria," Sushma said in a tweet along with a picture of Santosh's wife Kanchan.
Bhardwaj was kidnapped along with four colleagues from different countries when their ship Sampatiki was at sea, around 30 nautical miles off Nigerian capital Lagos.
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Sources in Ministry of External Affairs said Bhardwaj was held in captivity in Niger delta along with the four other nationals. Two were from Ukraine, one from Pakistan and one from Bangladesh.
They said Bhardwaj was released yesterday along with the other nationals and that he departed for India on board Emirates flight EK 782.
"The employer company M/s Transnav (based in Singapore) negotiated with the kidnappers and our Mission was in constant touch with company management and regularly monitored the progress in negotiations," the sources said.
