My son Prashant is not a terrorist, says father Babu Rao

Visakhapatnam: A day after two Indians, including Vizag native Prashant Maidam who was last seen in Hyderabad, were arrested by Pakistani Rangers for ‘illegally’ entering their soil, Prashant’s father M Babu Rao said that his son is neither a traitor nor terrorist but a victim going through pangs of depression following a love failure.

Babu Rao, who saw the video in which Prashant looks cheerful and is seen seeking permission from Pakistan police to record a message to his parents in Telugu, stated that they will meet the External Affairs Minister, Embassy officials and other influential people in New Delhi seeking that they use their good offices to expedite Prashant’s release.

The aggrieved father, who is a native of Visakhapatnam where, incidentally, Prashant completed his B. Tech, presently resides with his family in Hyderabad’s Kukatpally.

“My son Prashant started his career as a software engineer with a company in Bengaluru. There he fell in love with a colleague. After working in Bengaluru for a year or so, he shifted to Shore Infotech at Hitech City,” Babu Rao said.

Prashant has been in depression after the girl spurned his moves. On April 11, 2017, Prashant told his parents that he was going to the office, but he neither went to office nor did he come home and went missing.

The family had lodged a missing complainant in 2017 when Prashanth didn't return home. Maidam Babu Rao told that police that, Prashanth had left his residence in Kukatpally on 11th April 2017 to attend the job at Shore Infotech, Madhapur and did not turn. Searches across all possible locations went in vain.

However as time passed by, the family learnt that Prashanth on learning that his ‘lady-love’, who is native of Madhya Pradesh, went to Switzerland, the 31-year-old went to Madhya Pradesh and decided to go Switzerland on foot. He crossed the Pakistan border near Sriganganagar in Rajasthan and entered Cholistan desert and later handed up in Pakistan's custody.

Prashant and another man Dari Lal from Madhya Pradesh were arrested by Pakistan forces on November 14 when they were spotted at Yahzaman Mandi in Bahawalpur district.

Although Madhapur police registered a missing case in 2017 following Babu Rao’s complaint, they failed to trace him. Nor did they know of his whereabouts.

“My son is innocent. He does not have any links with anti-social elements. I do not know this Dari Lal. I am requesting the Union Government to take immediate steps to ensure my son’s release,” said the teary-eyed Babu Rao, in an emotion-ridden chocked tone.

The Pakistan authorities have also released a one-minute video of Prashant to his parents to whom he is saying “Mummy and daddy are you fine? Everything is fine here. They brought me to a court from the police station. Pakistan authorities will coordinate with the Indian embassy. I might be released a month’s time.”

Babu Rao earlier worked with a leading garments shopping mall in Vizag and stayed at Madhurawada up to 2013. Prashant is a B. Tech (CSE) from Chaitanya Engineering College.