"Never thought I would survive": Adarsha Behera, Jagatsinghpur youth held hostage in Sudan, reaches Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Adarsha Behera, an Odia youth who was held hostage for over one and a half months in civil war-hit Sudan, reached Bhubaneswar safely on Wednesday morning. The youth, a native of Kotakana village under Tirtol police limits in Jagatsinghpur district, returned home after a traumatic ordeal.

Adarsha became emotional on arriving at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, where his family members were present. His parents broke down on seeing their son after weeks of uncertainty and fear.

Adarsha's reaction after reaching Odisha

Speaking to the media, Adarsha narrated the torture he faced during his captivity. He said he was abducted by 15 to 20 armed members of the Rapid Support Forces, a rebel paramilitary group involved in Sudan’s civil war, while he was trying to move to a safer place. He claimed that the abductors beat him severely at the time of kidnapping.

“They kept me in a forest for two to three days and later shifted me to a jail-like place. I was beaten after the abduction. Sometimes I was given food, sometimes I was not. I never thought I would survive,” Adarsha said, recalling his painful experience.

He described the situation in Sudan as extremely dangerous and said violence was widespread. Adarsha thanked the Government of India for its efforts in securing his release and bringing him back safely.

Adarsha was working in a plastic factory in Sudan

Adarsha had been working as a machine operator in a plastic factory in Sudan since 2022. In November, his family lost contact with him, after which it emerged that he had been abducted at gunpoint from Al-Fashir, nearly 1,000 km from the capital Khartoum.

Before his abduction, Adarsha had sent an audio message to his wife, Susmita Behera, stating the abductors might release him if both the state and central governments intervened. A video later surfaced showing him seated with folded hands before the armed men, pleading for help.

Rescue efforts by the government

The matter was raised in the Lok Sabha by Jagatsinghpur BJP MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai, who sought the intervention of the Ministry of External Affairs. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had also urged the Centre to take urgent steps for Adarsha’s rescue.

Following sustained efforts by the Centre and coordination with Indian authorities abroad, Adarsha was freed and brought back to India via Abu Dhabi and Hyderabad before reaching Bhubaneswar.