ISIS militants did not hurt me: Abducted doctor

Eluru: Tears of joy and relief ran down the cheeks of family of Dr Kosanam Ramana Murthy, after seeing him after 18 months. Their house in Dondapadu village in Eluru rural mandal wore a festive look on Sunday, to welcome Dr Murthy, who was abducted by ISIS militants.

The doctor looked at peace on seeing the familiar sight of his home and he was greeted with bear hugs by his wife and children and family shed down a few tears of joy and celebrated the reunion.

• Dr Rama Murthy was abducted by ISIS miltants from Sirte town in Lybia, after 18 months in captivity he returned home on Sunday

The doctor, who was working at Ibn-e-Sina hospital in Sirte town in Lybia, was abducted by ISIS militants on September 15, 2015. Narrating his traumatic experience as a captive, the doctor said that he and his colleague Dr Shyam were captured and sent to the jail in the town. “They did not hurt me or my Indian counterparts,” he informed.

Dr Murthy, whose tenure in Lybia was completed on February 2015, was presurised by Health Ministry of Sirte to extend the contract. “After Ramadan ISIS terrorists started entering the Sirte. They forced locals to join them and started harassing the foreigners. After locals started migrating, the militants entered the Hospital on September 15.

They took total control of the town and anyone passed through the streets were captured and thrown in jail,” he said. Detailing his colleague Shyam’s escape, “The militants released Shaym from jail after 15 days. From there he went to the hospital and managed to flee from the city,” he informed.

The doctor said that he was in the custody of ISIS militants for 10 months in Ansar Jail. “They forced me to see their videos of the war they waged, which I rejected. During the month of Ramadan, they asked me to perform surgeries on the injured, to which I rejected stating that I do not have surgical experience. However, I offered them medical assistance,” he added.

He said that ISIS drew plans to expand their organisation across the world. “They were keen on India. The youth in the ISIS are well educated,” he said. Narrating about his injuries, “I tried to cross the road to reach another house to take bath and was caught in crossfire. Within seconds, I felt a bullet hit my left shoulder and then two bullets pierced my thigh and left wrist. I was writhing with pain.

However, I was near a hospital and they took me in and started treatment. My bones were fractured and there was no X-ray machine to confirm the same. The hospital was awfully low on medical supplies,” he added.

Dr Murthy said that he heaved a sigh of relief after army officials visited the hospital. “They listened to my woes and handed me over to Indian Embassy in Libya on February 14.I was there for a week and later was moved to Tunisia and then to Turkey and finally reached home, he informed.

The doctor thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and others for their efforts in his release from captivity. He also thanked the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Eluru MP Maganti Babu and MLA Badeti Kota Rama Rao for their help.