Saturday, March 29, 2025
“Do You Know Shah Rukh Khan?” — Sudanese Rebels Interrogate Kidnapped Indian Worker at Gunpoint
In a shocking development amid the ongoing violent conflict in Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia has abducted an Indian national, Adarsh Behera, from the city of Al-Fashir. The Odisha-born man was reportedly taken to Nyala, the stronghold of the RSF in South Darfur, located over 1,200 kilometers from Khartoum.
exclusive video showing Adarsh Behera sitting on the ground with folded hands, surrounded by armed RSF fighters. In the video, one soldier asks him in English, “Do you know Shah Rukh Khan?” — referring to the Bollywood superstar. Another soldier prompts him to repeat on camera that “Dagalo is good,” referring to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the feared RSF commander accused of leading brutal assaults across Sudan.
According to NDTV sources, 36-year-old Behera had been working in Sudan since 2022 for a company named Socraty Plastic Factory. He was reportedly kidnapped from Al-Fashir, nearly 1,000 km from Khartoum, and then transported to Nyala after RSF seized control of the area. His family, based in Odisha, confirmed his identity and shared the distressing video appeal.
Behera, visibly frightened in the footage, pleads:
“I am in Al-Fashir, where the situation is very bad. I have been living here for two years with great difficulty. My family and children are very distressed. I request the Odisha government to help me.”
Behera’s wife, Sushmita, said they have two sons aged eight and three. She has appealed to the Indian government for immediate assistance in securing her husband’s safe return.
Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal civil war since 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The capital, Khartoum, has witnessed some of the deadliest battles, displacing over 13 million people. The RSF recently overran Al-Fashir, riding camels and pickup trucks in a large-scale assault following an 18-month siege.
On Monday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned that the RSF could face war crimes charges amid reports of mass killings and sexual violence in Darfur.
Speaking to NDTV, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Ali Eltom, Sudan’s Ambassador to India, said communication with Al-Fashir is currently impossible:
“As you might expect, there is a total communication blackout in Al-Fashir. At this time, no one in the city can contact anyone else. We can only hope that no one is injured or harmed by mistake.”
Indian authorities are said to be in touch with Sudanese counterparts to verify Behera’s location and secure his release. Meanwhile, the incident underscores the growing dangers faced by foreign workers trapped amid Sudan’s worsening humanitarian disaster.
