India confirms death of abducted citizen in Afghanistan

New Delhi, Feb.9 (ANI): The Indian Government on Monday confirmed the death of a citizen who was abducted by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.In a statement released here, a government spokesman said: "It is with regret that we convey that the authorities in Afghanistan have informed us that the abducted Indian national Shri Simon Paramananthan has died while still in custody of his abductors. We are ascertaining further details. His family in India has been informed."

Paramanathan alias Srinivasan, 38, an Indian who worked with an Italian company in Afghanistan's Herat zone and was abducted in October last year.

A similar terse statement was issued by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

It 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, also confirmed that she had been informed by the governments of India and Afghanistan of her husband's death.

She lives at their home in Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu, 230 km south of Chennai.

"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 said.

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 dollars and the second - he was a Christian.

Vasanti hoped the Tamil Nadu government would provide her with some financial relief in the wake of this tragedy. (ANI)