An IT engineer from Kerala has been abducted by an unidentified militia in strife-torn Libya, according to information received in Kozhikode. Regi Joseph, 43, of Koorachundu in Kozhikode district, was reportedly abducted by an anti-government group from his workplace at Souk al Jumaa near Libya's capital, Tripoli, on March 31. Three other people, reportedly Libyan nationals, were also abducted. Regi works as an infrastructure engineer in Al Diwan Company, implementing a key project to create a national citizen database. Rebel forces had tried to hack into its servers a month ago.

Regi had been staying in Tripoli with his wife Shinuja, a nurse at the Tripoli-based TMC Hospital, for the last two years. They have three daughters.

Regi's father Pulluvelil Joseph said his daughter-in-law has sought the Indian embassy's help. M K Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, said he had taken up the matter with CM Oommen Chandy and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.