KIDNAP victim Paul Wells might still be alive if the Indian government's controversial decision to release a Muslim activist had been taken when the Blackburn student was first taken hostage, his father claimed today.

Bob Wells condemned the Indian authorities for doing a hostages-for-prisoners deal with the terrorist group he believes killed his son and said their action had betrayed Paul's memory.

Maulana Masood Azhar was one of three suspected terrorists released by India on New Year's Eve in return for the lives of the remaining 155 passengers on a hijacked Indian Airlines plane.

Paul's captors had also demanded the release of Masood Azhar when they kidnapped the Blackburn student along with three other Westerners in Kashmir four-and-a-half years ago.

Mr Wells, who believes Paul was murdered six months after his capture, acknowledged that the Indian authorities faced a difficult task to save the lives of 155 passengers on the hijacked Indian plane. The hijackers had already killed one passenger when the Indian government handed over the prisoners at Kandahar airport in Afghanistan.

Mr Wells said: "I feel Paul has been betrayed by the authorities in India, and so have the families of all four hostages who were killed. "When Paul was taken captive, one of the demands was for the release of Masood Azhar. It was very difficult for us at the time, but we always agreed that the authorities should not do deals with terrorists. Now they have done just that. This man has now been released and he is free to go wherever he wants.

"If this man had been released in 1995, it might have been a different story for Paul and he might be with us in Blackburn today.

"We believe these hijackers are from the same group that kidnapped Paul and the other hostages in 1995."

Mr Wells said: "These are vicious, evil, cowardly people who will stop at nothing to further their own aims."

There is nothing democratic about their campaign. They have a dictatorial ideology which they wish to impose on other people."

Masood Azhar is now believed to have fled Afghanistan.

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