British hostage;'s wife is hopeful of a breakthrough

Julie Mangan, wife of kidnapped Briton Keith Mangan, on Tuesday left Srinagar with renewed hope that he might still be alive.

She spent the whole of last week searching for her husband and even travelled deep into the forests surrounding Pahalgam, Magam and Kokermag in south Kashmir without a security escort.

Keith is one of the five foreigners kidnapped by the Al Faran group on July 2, 1995. One hostage was killed shortly after the kidnapping. The other four are believed to be still alive.

Immediately after Julie travelled to the hilly Alpine region in south Kashmir, a newspaper in Srinagar carried a story saying that Julie, along with Birget Hasert, the elder sister of German hostage Dirk Hasert, had been abducted and later released by pan-Islamic gunmen in the woods.

However, Julie Mangan denied the report. In an exclusive interview to Rediff On The NeT, Julie said her visit had been fruitful and she had "established some worthwhile connections this time."

''I have got some connections and I will pursue them. I am hopeful that there should be a breakthrough in the crisis, which has now entered its third year. I met people and made contacts and I hope the word will spread,'' she said. "I am highly optimistic that they are alive," she added.

Jane Schelly, the wife of American hostage Donald Hutchings, has decided to extend her stay in Kashmir by one week. She will meet state government officials and separatist leaders in the valley during her stay. Jane said she would visit Islamabad and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir next week before returning home.

Meanwhile, there were widespread protests in Pahalgam following the alleged custodial killing of Abdul Aziz Khanday, a resident of the hill resort.

The protestors alleged that the victim had been arrested a few days ago by the special investigating team of the state crime branch probing the foreign hostage crisis.

Khanday's body was handed over to his relatives on Sunday, July 6.

With the deadlock in the hostage crisis, the investigation was transferred to the crime branch, which set up a SIT to crack the kidnapping case.

State police chief Gurbachan Jagat is reported to have taken serious note of Khanday's death and ordered an enquiry into the incident. A magisterial enquiry has also been ordered.

'I have positive indications that the four hostages are alive'