CHITRAL, May 18: Two younger brothers and a sister of a Spanish national, who was slain in the Bumburate Valley two years back, have arrived in Chitral to take the body to Spain.

Magraner Jordy, who had reportedly converted to the Kalash faith, was slaughtered with his servant Wazir Ali at Bumburate in August 2002. He was buried according to the Kalash rites.

Sources in the office of the district police officer said Mr Audge, Mr Magraner Andrie and Ms Magraner Esperaza had sought a week-long stay in the valley. The purpose of their visit was stated to exhume the body and carry it to their country.

The Kalash elders are said to be opposing the exhumation on the grounds that it is not permissible in their faith. Jordy came to the Bumburate Valley in 1990 and lived there till his death. He used to identify himself as a cryptozoologist, searching the hairy snowman locally called as Barmanoo.

During his 12-year stay in the valley, he put in hectic efforts in pursuit of the snowman but claimed that he had only traced its footprints. He adopted local customs and declared his conversion to Kalash. He made himself a house in the valley and lived there with his servants.

One of his servants, whose name could not be known, was charged with his murder. He allegedly fled to Afghanistan and is still at large. The police claimed to have recovered from the accused's house some of the items used by Jordy and had arrested his wife and daughter. But a court released them after some months due to lack of evidence against them.

Sources said the activities of Jordy were considered mysterious. The local administration warned him repeatedly, but he ignored the warnings and continued his activities. He used to go to Afghanistan on horseback.

One month before his murder, when he was in Islamabad, the home department banned his entry to the district and ordered the police to expel him if he tried to enter Chitral. A local police official was sacked for having failed to comply with orders when Jordy returned from Islamabad and was found murdered two days later.