Family Appeals for Safe Release of Odisha Man Abducted in Sudan

Behera, a resident of Kotakana village under Tirtol police limits in Jagatsinghpur district, has reportedly been held captive by the RSF amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

In a video message circulated on social media, Behera’s father Kshetramohan Behera and wife Sasmita Behera made an emotional plea for help.

“Adarsha is my only son. He has two little children, aged nine and four. He is the sole breadwinner of our family. I request the government to take urgent steps for his release,” said Kshetramohan.

A tearful Sasmita added, “My husband has nothing to do with Sudan’s internal conflict. He went there only to earn a livelihood for us. I appeal to the RSF to release him on humanitarian grounds. He is an ordinary worker with no political connections.”

According to reports, Behera, 36, was abducted from Al Fashir, around 1,000 km from Khartoum, and is believed to have been taken to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur and a known RSF stronghold.

A video allegedly sent to his family by the abductors shows Behera seated between two RSF soldiers. One of them asks, “Do you know Shah Rukh Khan?” while another prompts him to say, “Dagalo good” — a reference to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, or Hemeti, the RSF leader.

In another video shared with local journalists, Behera is seen sitting on the floor with folded hands, pleading, “I am here in Al Fashir, where the situation is very bad. I have been living here for two years with great difficulty. My family and children are very worried. I request the Odisha government to help me.”

Behera has been working in Sudan since 2022 at Sukarati Plastic Factory.

Officials in Jagatsinghpur district said they have not yet received any official communication from the state or Union governments regarding the case. However, sources in the state administration confirmed that the situation is being closely monitored.