Bhubaneswar, Nov 4: The Odisha government has formally requested the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take immediate steps to rescue Adarsh Kumar Behera, a youth from Jagatsinghpur district, who has reportedly been abducted in Sudan, an African nation currently facing internal conflict.

According to official sources, after learning about Adarsh’s situation through media reports, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik promptly instructed senior state officials to take necessary action to ensure his safe return.

Following the Chief Minister’s directive, the Director General of Intelligence wrote a letter to the MEA, urging the Central Government to initiate measures for Adarsh’s rescue and repatriation. In addition, the Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi has also communicated with the MEA, requesting coordination with the Indian Embassy in Sudan to trace Adarsh and bring him back home safely.

Adarsh Kumar Behera, a native of Kotakana village under Tirtol Police Station in Jagatsinghpur district, has been working in Sudan since 2022. Recently, his family received distressing information that he had gone missing, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

According to media reports, Sudan's Ambassador to India Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom said his country is coordinating with the Indian ministry of external affairs to secure the release of Adarsh Behera, abducted by the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the war-torn Al Fashir city.