Ramankutty Maniappan

NEW DELHI: A body found by Afghan authorities near Delaram in the Nimroz province on Wednesday has been identified as that ofRamankutty Maniappan, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) driver kidnapped by the Taliban on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yusuf telephoned the Reuters news agency and claimed Mr. Maniappan was executed as the BRO did not agree to pull out of Afghanistan.

"The body was recovered around 11 a.m. and is being taken to Kandahar," Zia Mojadedi, a senior official in the Afghan Security Council, told this correspondent over telephone from Kabul. "The Afghan Government is making all possible efforts to trace the culprits."

According to Rakesh Sood, India's Ambassador in Afghanistan, the body is likely to be flown to Delhi by an Indian Airlines flight on Thursday. "We are trying to get the body from Kandahar to Kabul in time for the flight," he said from the Afghan capital.

Sombre mood

Asked whether there was fear among the 300-odd Indians in Afghanistan, Mr. Sood said, "The people here are okay, but the mood is sombre." All those who were living and working in Afghanistan were aware of the risks they faced.

"It is not the first time such an incident has taken place. Working in Afghanistan carries its own risks," he said, stressing that Chinese, Turkish, Dutch and British nationals were targeted in the past. Mr. Maniappan was the first Indian executed by the Taliban.

Mr. Sood said its objective was to scare away Indians working on the $70 million Zaranj-Delaram road project, which will be Afghanistan's link to the Iranian port of Chabahar. "The stoppage of work by the Indian company [BRO] was the only demand made by the Taliban."

Karzai condoles

Afghan President Hamid Karzai telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to express his condolences. He promised that security would be beefed up for all Indian personnel in the country.

Dr. Singh told Mr. Karzai that India's resolve to assist Afghanistan remained unshaken.

In a press statement, Dr. Singh said he was "deeply grieved and outraged" by the killing. "I condemn this cowardly and brutal murder of a brave Indian, who was working in the cause of peace and development far from his home and country, which reflects the cruel and inhuman character of the Taliban and the forces they represent."

The External Affairs Ministry said Mr. Maniappan's family would receive Rs. 10 lakh as compensation and benefits. Both his children would receive free education up to the secondary level.

The Ministry hoped that those responsible for the killing would be brought to justice swiftly. It said India was in touch with Kabul to ensure the safety of its nationals in Afghanistan.

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