In a gruesome end to the two-day kidnapping drama, abductors have killed the Indian Railway Construction (IRCON) engineer and his brother in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said in Srinagar on Friday.

The bodies of Sudhir Kumar Pundir and his brother were recovered from Sugan village near Shopian in the south Kashmir Pulwama district by police early this morning, sources said. Their throats were slit.

Unidentified gunmen had abducted the two on Wednesday from Charsoo when they were returing to Awantipore from the site. Two local were also abducted along with them, They were, however, released yesterday.

A senior police officer said the two bodies were found by villagers in a corn field. "They were later identified by senior railway officials," Kashmir Inspector General of Police K Rajendra told rediff.com on phone.

Security forces and police party immediately rushed to the spot and the bodies were taken to the local police station for identification. Sources said senior IRCON officials who reached the police station after being  informed identified the bodies.

The gunmen had demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakhs for the safe release of the two hostages.

IRCON is laying the railway line between Qazigund and Baramullah and the project is scheduled to be commissioned in 2005.

The ambitious rail project includes a track length of 120 kms plus state of art railway stations at Qazigund, Srinagar and Baramullah at an estimated cost of Rs 7100 million.

The abductors had threatened to execute the hostage in case their demand was not met.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction and the subsequent killing of Pundir and his brother.The bodies have been brought to Pulwama for autopsy, according to officials.