A HIGH ranking member of the Indian Government has revealed his firm belief that student hostage Paul Wells and his fellow British captive Keith Mangan are dead.

Indian Home Secretary K Padmanabhaiah's revelation is contained in The Big Story documentary filmed as relatives of the four kidnapped Westerners searched for clues in Kashmir last month.

The politician told presenter Dermot Murnaghan his belief that the men were killed on December 13 last year.

But today Paul's father Bob Wells, of Bracken Close, Blackburn, refused to accept that his son was dead in the absence of any conclusive evidence.

The claim will be broadcast on Thursday - exactly 500 days after the men were kidnapped at gunpoint - as part of an ITV programme in The Big Story series entitled Searching For Our Sons.

Padmanabhaiah tells Dermot Murnaghan in the film that a militant captured in late April claims the hostages were eliminated on December 13 last year. The witness alleges that "it was the local commander who was holding them who took the decision to eliminate them."

Though there is still no conclusive proof, Padmanabhaiah believes the witness is credible.

And programme makers also say they have corroborative information that two of the hostages were seen being led away shortly before they were supposedly executed.

Ironically, Thursday is also the day when the hostages' families and friends are to announce the national launch of the Hostages In Kashmir campaign to free them.

The 20:20 Vision production company behind The Big Story funded the trip which took Mr Wells, Paul's girlfriend Cath Moseley and relatives of Middlesbrough born hostage Keith Mangan and American Donald Hutchings to India, Kashmir and Pakistan.

During the trip Mr Wells also spoke to the minister who made the claim. Mr Wells added: "He also told me his belief that Paul and Keith were killed by their captors on December 13.

"But in the absence of any conclusive proof, I maintain the hope that Paul and the others could still be alive."

Paul and four other Westerners were kidnapped by Kashmiri separatists calling themselves Al Faran while trekking in the Kashmir Valley in July, 1995.

The body of one of the men, Norwegian Hans Christian Ostro, was later discovered beheaded.

The claim that the men have been killed is believed to be based on the evidence of Nasir Mohammed, a known Kashmiri militant arrested in April.

But Mr Wells added: "I feel it is unsafe to rely on the evidence gained from this man.

"He may have heard - and believe - that the hostages were killed. But that does not mean the information is correct."

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