Company announces 20 lakh compensation for Surayanarayan's family

New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) Slain telecom engineer K Suryanarayan's family with get Rs 20 lakh as compensation from the company he was working with when he was abducted and beheaded by Taliban in Afghanistan and his children will also be provided free education.

'Almoayed Group' President V P Ajan told UNI that the company had sanctioned Rs 20 lakh as compensation for the family.

''We have also decided to sponsor the education of all the three children of Suryanarayan till they attain the age of 18.'' Besides this, we are coordinating with various communities in Bahrain for 'exclusive funds' to help the family, he said. ''Though this is at an initial stage but the effort is very much on the anvil.'' Denying any lack of security as reason for the 'mishap,' Mr Ajan said his company which deals in IT and telecom, had provided the best available security in the country.

Conceding that the beheaded body was found in a gunny bag, Mr Ajan denied torture marks were found on the found. ''Doctors have denied that there were any torture marks on the body.'' He also said one of the drivers of the two cars, with which Suryanarayan left on the fateful day, was still missing. ''He was an Afghan national.'' While informing that 80 Indians were still working with the company in Afghanistan, he said part of the company's work had been sub-contracted to 'Roshaan', a telecom service provider in the country with whom Suryanarayan would coordinate with.

Meanwhile, airport officials informed that a locket, bearing Lord Hanuman's picture, a golden bracelet and a watch were recovered along with the body of Suryanarayan.

The Hyderabad-born Suryanarayan, working for a Bahrain company in Afghanistan, was abducted by the Taliban on Friday (April 28) and his beheaded body was found between Qalat and Ghazni, on Kabul-Kandhahar route yesterday morning.

The Taliban had threatened to kill Suryanarayan unless India withdrew all its workers from Afghanistan. They, however, killed their hostage before the set deadline.

UNI AN PA BST2035