Hostage issue — police picks up samples for DNA testing

Initially five tourists were abducted by the militant group from Pahelgam,70 kms south of Srinagar comprising Donald Hutchings, an American, HensChristian Ostro, a Norwegian, Keith Manigan, British, Drugs Hertings andJohn Chlid.

While Chlid gave a slip to his captors on August 14, 1995, Ostro wasreportedly beheaded for a similar attempt. The remaining have, since then,been untraceable. Al-Faran also disappeared from the scene after the talksbetween them and the authorities failed to yield any result to thesatisfaction of the former.

Today, a team of forensic experts under the supervision of Chief MedicalOfficer, Anantnag collected samples from a graveyard in Dooru inpresence of the Deputy Commissioner, SP Operations, Tehsildar and otherofficials. The experts took samples of the bodies from a few graves andsealed them for testing.

This is for the third time that police has collected samples to ascertainthe hostages who vanished five years back.