NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday issued instructions that all efforts be made to seek the return of the kidnapped Border Roads Organisation (BRO) driver, M.R. Kutty, while ensuring the protection of about 290 Indian nationals in Afghanistan. The directive came a day after Reuters reported that Taliban "guerillas" had threatened to kill Mr. Kutty unless the BRO pulled out of Afghanistan.

India's Ambassador Rakesh Sood told this correspondentover telephone from Kabul that one of the three Afghans, kidnapped along with Mr. Kutty on Saturday, came back to the BRO camp. "He is being interrogated." Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman said the Government had noted the kidnapping with "deep concern."

"Shri Kutty was kidnapped along with an Afghan driver and two security guards, who were travelling with him from Gurguri to Minar in the Nimroze province where the BRO is undertaking a road construction project from Zaranj to Delaram... The Embassy of India in Kabul has been in touch with the Afghan authorities to seek their urgent assistance in ensuring the safe and early return of Shri Kutty...Security for Indian personnel working on the highway project as well as other projects has been strengthened by the Afghan authorities.'' Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi has set up a group comprising officials of the Home and External Affairs Ministries and security agencies to monitor the developments.

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