THOOTHUKUDI:  Jubilation was writ large on the face of Litton, whose son after four long years in captivity of Somali pirates, was scheduled to land at Mumbai international airport on Saturday.

A resident of Punnakayal in the district, Litton profusely thanked the Central and the State governments for helping him reunite with his son. “Daniston (26) called up on Friday night and sounded fine. He would reach here by flight and asked us to be there to receive him,” Litton told Express.

Daniston was among the 25 abducted by the Somali pirates in September 2010, while they were en route to Durban (South Africa) on MV Asphalt. While 18 were released six months later, the pirates held the seven to ransom. However, after years of negotiations, Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program (MPHRP) officials managed to secure the freedom of the group.

The seven seafarers, all from India, were initially admitted to a hospital in Kenya and were released on Friday night after check ups. Later, the group was taken to the Indian embassy, where works on their papers was done.

Source: The New Indian Express