Chefs body found in Afghanistan,sent back

Weeks after Simon Paramanathan alias Vasus family performed his last rites with a shirt,dhoti and a handful of Afghan sand brought back by his brother...

Weeks after Simon Paramanathan alias Vasus family performed his last rites with a shirt,dhoti and a handful of Afghan sand brought back by his brother,authorities have finally recovered the body of the 38-year-old chef,who was abducted for ransom and killed in Afghanistan.

It could,however,not be ascertained from where and in what condition Paramanathans remains were found. The post-mortem has reportedly confirmed initial suspicions that he was shot to death while in captivity.

Simons remains landed in New Delhi by the Kabul-Delhi IC-844 flight of the Indian Airlines on Thursday afternoon and were cleared by the Customs Department to be taken to Chennai.

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On Wednesday,the Indian Airlines office in Kabul was contacted by the Indian Embassy to transport one human remain to Chennai,sources at the Kabul International Airport told The Indian Express.

Paramanathans passport had been destroyed and an emergency release certificate was then issued by the Indian Embassy in Kabul, a senior customs official said.

Simon,38,hailing from Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu,was kidnapped on October 13,2008.

He was working as a chef for an Italian company that was contracted to supply food materials to the Italian contingent of the multinational force deployed in Herat.

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According to sources,he was abducted with two other locals while delivering food at the International Security Assistance Force camp at Bagram air base.

The militants reportedly sought 1,50,000 dollars from Simons family,and killed him in February when the money could not be raised. The militants then demanded one-third of the original amount to return his body.

Unable to raise the money,Simons family members were forced to perform his funeral rites without his remains.

Simon is survived by his wife Vasanti,a daily wage labourer and two children.