Hostage’s Wife Makes New Appeal Back From India, Teacher Asks Anew For Release Of Hutchings

The wife of a Spokane man held hostage in India appealed again Wednesday for the release of her husband and thanked her friends and family for their support.

Jane Schelly, the wife of psychologist Donald Hutchings, made her first appearance since leaving India more than a week ago.

Her voice quavering, Schelly read a short statement and then asked reporters to respect her decision to not talk about the case until it is resolved.

Hutchings, 42, has been a hostage of the Al-Faran Muslim militant group for 126 days.

“I will return to India when events indicate my presence can contribute in any way to Don’s safety or to his release,” Schelly said.

Hutchings and three other men - two Britons and a German - were seized while trekking in the mountains of Kashmir, in northern India.

Schelly, a physical education teacher at Arlington Elementary in Spokane, was held overnight by the extremists, but was released the next day.

She and the wives of the other three men remained in Kashmir, trying to secure the release of the tourists.

“I repeat the appeal that we made when we left New Delhi: We ask Al-Faran to release our loved ones without delay,” she said.

News reports indicate Hutchings and the others are safe, but suffering from frostbite and other minor health problems.

“They are innocent tourists who have never done any harm to the people of Kashmir,” she said. “It would be honorable and humanitarian to release them unharmed so that, like us, they can return to their families, where they belong.”

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