Three Kangra men, who were held hostage for 72 days by Nigerian pirates and freed last week, reached their respective homes in the state on Sunday. They were given a rousing welcome by their families and locals after their safe return.
Sushil Kumar (37) of Nagrota Surian, who was captain of a Merchant Navy vessel and the one who called his family to inform about the kidnapping and later about the demand for ransom, touched the feet of his father Raghvir Singh, an ex-servicemen, who embraced him with tears rolling down from his eyes.

“It’s a second lease of life. I had given up hope at one stage about returning home. Today, I stand on my home soil to thank God, my parents and well-wishers who prayed for my safety. I have nothing more to say…I don’t want to recall the pain and the trauma of the past 70-72 days in the middle of those gun wielding pirates threatening to kill us,” Sushil told his family.
Sushil’s younger brother, Vinay Kumar, said: “He was unwell for almost 12 to 15 days suffering from malaria and was kept without food and medicines by the kidnappers. He had high fever and survived only on water and Maggi. Last 12 days were very horrifying. They did not harm them physically, but kept torturing them mentally.”
He added that Sushil had no hope of making it back alive. “Other two youths — Pankaj and Ajay Kumar hailing from Nagotra Bhagwan and Palampur, respectively — also used to cry recalling their families and aged parents,” he said.