Woman NGO Worker From Kolkata Abducted In Kabul

Kolkata: On Thursday night, Judith D’Souza, 40, an Indian NGO worker stationed in Kabul, was abducted by suspected militants right outside her office. The governments and security agencies in India and Afghanistan were involved in tracing her till the time of going to press on Friday.

D’Souza, working with international NGO Aga Khan Foundation, hails from Kolkata. In a statement issued in Kabul, the Foundation said: “On Thursday, June 9, a staff member of the Aga Khan Foundation was abducted. An investigation by the authorities, in conjunction with security officials and various partners, has been launched. Every effort is being made for the safe release of the staff member.”

Judith’s father told PTI in Kolkata that the family received information that three persons — Judith, a security guard and the driver of the vehicle, were abducted and they received the information at 1.30 AM from the Indian embassy in Kabul. Judith was a senior technical adviser and was scheduled to return to India next week.

As per EXIN Times, the Indian embassy had issued a security advisory to “all Indians residing and travelling to Afghanistan that the security situation in the country remains highly volatile”. The advisory warned of terrorist attacks and mentioned “the risk of kidnapping and hostage taking throughout Afghanistan”.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday tweeted that the government was “doing everything to rescue her”. Replying to an appeal through Twitter by the victim’s brother, Swaraj tweeted back: “She is your sister and India's daughter. We are doing everything to rescue her.”