Engineer's killing shocks AP

Hyderabad, Apr 30 (UNI) A pall of gloom decended on this city following the killing of telecommunications engineer Suryanarayan by Taliban militants in Southern Afghanistan today.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, who rushed to console the family of the deceased Engineer, announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh and a suitable job to a family member.

Condemning the brutal killing of 41-year-old Suryanarayan, Dr Reddy conveyed the sympathies by Party President Sonia Gandhi as and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Calling on the bereaved family, BJP National Secretary B Datattreya demanded that the Centre extend all facilities provided to defence personnel under similar circumstances.

A steady stream of friends and relatives as also leaders of various parties visited the house of the Communications Engineer with Bahrain-based Telecom company in Afghanistan and offered their condolences to Suryanarayan's widow K Majula, as she along with her two daughters Anisha and Manisha and son Satya Teja, wept lnconsolably.

The killing seemed to have been the result of the US ''Imperialist policies'', opined CPI State Secretary K Narayana, while CPI(M) State Secretary B V Raghavulu, condemning the killing, felt that the Centre had not acted in time to save the engineer, who was kidnapped by the Taliban militants, demanding withdrawal of all Indians from Afghanistan within 24 hours.

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