Taliban kills abducted Indian road worker

     New Delhi: The Government of India on Wednesday condemned the killing of abducted Kerala-born Maniappan Raman Kutty, an employee of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in Afghanistan. Kutty was killed by the Taliban yesterday evening after being abducted on Saturday. Condemning the incident, Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh expressed his shock and grief, and said that it was unfortunate to have lost an Indian working for enhancing India's relationship with Afghanistan.

      An official statement released by the Government said Kutty's death was a loss for the Border Road Organisation (BRO), and added that the Government had tried its best to get the Indian abducted road worker released. The Indian Government has announced a compensation of Rs.10 lakh for Kutty's bereaved family and free education to his two children. The government, however, said that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) would continue its work in Afghanistan and the incident would not have any negative impact on the relationship between the two countries. The Afghan Government is now being approached to ensure increased security for the Indians working in that country.

    Kutty along with three Afghan citizens was abducted on Saturday night while on his way from Gur Gure to Minar in Afghanistan's southern Nimroz province. Later the Taliban, which claimed the Indian road worker was abducted and killed, set a 48-hour deadline for the BRO to leave Afghanistan, which expired at 7 p.m. (IST) on Tuesday. Local police officials, earlier today, claimed that a body appeared to be of an Indian, was found dumped by villagers in a desert in Dilaram district of Nimroz province, which was later identified as that of Kutty.

    The Taliban had previously abducted several Turkish and Indian engineers and workers involved in road works in southern Afghanistan in the past years. Earlier, in 2003, the Taliban abducted two Indians working for a private road construction company. They were later released. The Government of India is constructing the highway between Zeranj to Delaram in the province as part of its financial assistance programme. Kutty was working with the Army's premier road building agency, the Border Roads Organisation, which has been entrusted with the onerous task of building the 219 kilometres long, 380 crore rupees Delaram-Zaranj road project in Afghanistan. The road which goes from Herat to the Iran border upon completion will give access to the two ports Chabahar and Bandar Abbas.

Karzai condemns Kutty's killing

     Meanwhile, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai today expressed his condolences to Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh on the killing of Indian worker Maniyappan Raman Kutty of the Border Roads Organization by Taliban on Tuesday. Karzai, in a telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister this afternoon, also said that security would be increased for all Indian personnel in Afghanistan, adding that Afghanistan valued highly India's assistance in its reconstruction. Prime Minister thanked him for the call and said that India's resolve to assist Afghanistan remained unshaken.