By IANS,
Chennai : Simon Paramanathan alias Srinivasan, 38, an Indian who worked with an Italian company in Afghanistan’s Herat zone and was abducted in October last year, has been killed by his Taliban captors, officials and his family said Monday.
A terse press statement from the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs said “…the abducted Indian national Simon Paramananthan…died…in (the) custody of his abductors…His (Simon’s) family in India has been informed.”
Vasanti Paramanathan, the victim’s 35-year-old widow, confirmed the tidings from their home in Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu, 230 km south of the state capital here.
“We have been informed by officials in Afghanistan that my husband Simon was murdered yesterday (Sunday) night. Enquiries by my brother-in-law Subramanian also elicited the same response,” Vasanti told IANS over phone.
According to Vasanti, her husband Paramanathan who converted to Christianity when they were married a few years ago, was murdered on two counts – the first being non-payment of a ransom of $50,000 and the second – he was a Christian.
“Simon’s employers, an Italian company, kept on delaying the negotiation process and now he is dead. I really do not know when I would see his mortal remains,” Vasanti added.
Paramanathan was kidnapped Oct 13 last year and the Indian government had been continuously negotiating for his release.
Vasanti hoped that the Tamil Nadu government would provide her with some financial relief.