Jesuit priest’s 8-month Afghan ordeal ends

“Delighted at securing the release of Indian Jesuit priest Father Alexis Prem Kumar from captivity in Afghanistan,” Modi tweeted.

“Have spoken to Father Alexis Prem Kumar. Informed happy family of Father Alexis Prem Kumar of his safe return after 8 months in captivity,” he added. 47-year-old Prem Kumar, an aid worker, was abducted from Herat in Afghanistan by unidentified gunmen on June 2 last year. An External Affairs Ministry spokesman had then said that Prem Kumar was working with an NGO and had no connection with the Indian Government or Mission or Consulate in Afghanistan.

A native of Tamil Nadu, Kumar was working with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), an educational charity, as its Afghanistan Director and had been in the country for over three years.

Before moving to Afghanistan, Kumar had worked for the JRS, serving Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu.