ALAPPUZHA: Akhil Raghu, who was held captive by Houthi rebels for 110 days and nights, has finally reached home. Among those who welcomed him home was his wife Jithina, who escaped the devastation of the war in Ukraine a month ago. Akhil reached home around 12 on Tuesday night.

"I never expected that I will be able to come back home so soon. I have not slept for months," Akhil said while holding his mother's hands.

Cheppad native Akhil Raghu (26) is a cadet aboard the UAE cargo ship 'Rawabi'. 11 workers, including Akhil, were taken captive by the Houthi rebels on January 2 at 11.45 pm. The Houthi rebels attacked the ship while it was carrying cargo from Abu Dhabi to Socotra. In those moments Akhil hugged his friend Sreejith and prayed. The staff consisted of seven Indians, including three Malayalees. All of them were transported in small boats to a hotel in Hudaydah. Upon finding that most of the employees were Indians, the Houdi rebels assured them that they will not attack anyone. Their only target was an Emirates ship.

Akhil and others were allowed to call home for five minutes every ten days. For two weeks, they stayed in a hotel. Later, they taught the rebels about the operation of the ship. While staying at the hotel, Akhil and his friends witnessed a mine exploding and several people getting killed. He learnt about the war in Ukraine through television.

His wife Jithina was a final year MBBS student at Kyiv University. Jithina was caught in the middle of the war in Ukraine, while Akhil was arrested by the terrorists. Akhil somehow managed to call and talk to his wife by threatening to kill himself. Jithina used to send frequent emails to the UN. That gave Akhil more time to talk to his wife. Jithina arrived in India a month ago through a rescue mission of the central government.

The start of Ramadan paved the way for Akhil's release. He received a notice to leave for India on the night of the 22nd. Akhil reached home at around 12 on Tuesday night.