'Saw our students among militants'

A day after they were abducted, the four Indians were shifted to another camp. Vijay Kumar said he saw his former students among the terrorists. "I am sure they recognized me. It was unfortunate to see them hold advanced arms like AK-47," he said.
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Another man checked their bags and took away all the cash, gold and mobile phones. "We had pasta, juice, bread and dry fruits.Late evening, we were allowed to sit out in the open air for nearly 40 minutes before returning to our room. This time, the door was not locked and we were given new bedsheets and blankets," Kumar said. They were here till 11.30 am on Friday.
"Late noon, our luggage was returned . We checked and told them that gold, cash and mobile phones were intact. They directed Laxmikanth not to take his iPad," he said. The kidnappers told Vijay and Laxmikanth that they would like to see their passports. "Our passports were in the car and driver Abdulla had passed them to university director," Kumar said.
"We were driven to our university and when the security at the gate did not believe the men were from ISIS, one of the men asked if he should show him his AK-47. We were immediately let in. During our conversation the Sheikh had come to know my contract had not been renewed. He called up the head of my department and asked him to immediately renew my contract," Laxmikanth said. Their passports were checked and they were let off. Laxmikanth said he has no plans to return to Libya and will look for a teaching job back home. "I will appeal to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah to get a job for me. I won't advise anyone to go to Libya in the current situation," he added.
Wife Pratibha, who stayed with him in Libya for two years before coming back to India last August for her delivery said: "I worked in a polyclinic there. The atmosphere was good but after Muammar Gadaffi's death the situation is tense there."
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After completing his MSc in Instrumentation technology and a doctorate, Laxmikanth found it difficult to get a job in Karnataka and was earning Rs 3,000 as a guest lecturer in Raichur. "We got to know there were jobs in University of Sirte, he applied and got it in 2009," said his brother Pavan Kumar.