Two killed in Tanzania

Maqsood Ahmed, Irfan’s father-in-law, says, ‘‘the killings could have been the outcome of business rivalry or just cold-blooded murder as mugging is quite common in the African country.’’

The families say the victims’ bodies had to be buried in Mouanza not because of lack of resources as the two, apart from being employed in an oil company, JB Oil Depot, had a flourishing textile business, but due to official apathy.

Says Maqsood, ‘‘the Tanzanian authorities cited procedural problems and the family was informed that the bodies could not be embalmed, but the Indian Embassy officials could have come to our aid.’’

Azra Jahan, Ahsan’s widow, pitches in, ‘‘We remained in Dar-es-Salaam for three days after the incident but none from the Indian Embassy turned up to ask after us.’’ Azra was in Mounza on the fateful day along with Irfan’s wife, Shazia Tabassum.

‘‘Considering that two Indians were brutally killed in a foreign country, even the information of their death was not conveyed through the official channels,’’ adds Irfan’s father, Qamar Ahmed.

Instead, it was their Pakistani friends who helped Azra and Shazia to bury their husbands’ bodies and get a safe passage to India. They also left their house and belongings in their custody. The family now wants to return to Tanzania to dispose of the house and property.