Tragic Terror Attack in Pahalgam

Victims include families from across India and abroad, as terrorists target innocent travelers in one of the deadliest strikes in the Valley since Pulwama.

Terrorists opened fire at a famed meadow near Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon, April 22, 2025. Killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, in what appears to be the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019. The attack took place in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam, where people from various parts of India had gathered for vacation. 

The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), frontal outfit of Pakistan backed terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The group was created in August 2019 after the revocation of Article 370 to escape international scrutiny.The Pahalgam victims included two foreigners – one from the UAE and the other from Nepal – and two locals. All 26 victims were men.

Below are the stories of some of the victims:

Bitan Adhikari-

Bitan Adhikari was a 40-year-old techie based in the U.S., originally from Kolkata, West Bengal. He worked as a Test Manager with TCS. Bitan had returned to India last month with his wife, Sohini, and their 3-year-old son, Hridyan, for a summer break. The family had traveled to Kashmir for a vacation, landing there on April 16 and scheduled to return on April 24. They had reached Pahalgam just hours before the attack.

Shortly after their arrival, armed militants approached them, asked for their religious identities, and shot Bitan dead, leaving his wife and young son stranded. The news has left his family in a state of profound shock. Bitan’s cousin, Debasish Chakraborty, said, “The news has left the family in deep shock. Bitan was the only support for his parents.”

Samir Guha – 

He was a 46-year-old Junior Statistical Officer from Kolkata, West Bengal. He was on his first family trip to Kashmir with his wife, Sabari, and their 17-year-old daughter, Subhangi. The family had arrived in Kashmir on April 16 and were scheduled to return on April 23. On Tuesday afternoon, while taking a walk through the valley in Pahalgam, they suddenly heard gunshots. Initially, they were told that the shots were meant to scare off monkeys. However, moments later, a group of people surrounded them and ordered them to lie down. The attackers then shot Samir dead. “When we first saw the news, we desperately tried to contact him and my sister Sabari. There was no response. Around 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning, their car driver finally managed to get through to us, and my sister broke the news,” said Subrata Ghosh, Samir’s brother-in-law. “Didi didn’t say much. She could barely mention that everything had ended in an instant.” Sabari and Subhangi returned home with Samir’s coffin on Wednesday night.

Manish Ranjan-

 He was a 42-year-old Section Officer with the Intelligence Bureau, posted in Hyderabad. Originally from Bihar, he had planned a family reunion in Kashmir. On April 21, he arrived in Kashmir with his wife, Jaya, and their two children—10-year-old son Shabu and 6-year-old daughter Baby—for a vacation in Pahalgam. Manish had also planned to meet his parents and brothers at Jammu railway station, from where the family was scheduled to travel to Vaishno Devi.

His final act was one of immense courage—shielding his family from harm. As the terrorists began targeting tourists, Manish urged his wife and children to flee in the opposite direction. His presence of mind saved their lives, although he himself could not escape the gunfire. Manish’s parents and younger brother, Vineet—an excise officer with the Bengal government—were en route to Jammu when the news reached them. “We heard about the incident while we were on the move. His wife contacted the family using someone else’s phone to inform us,” said Vineet.

Vinay Narwal –

 He was a 26-year-old Indian Navy Lieutenant posted in Kochi. He had been serving in the Navy for two years. Recently married, his wedding reception was held on April 16, and he was on a short vacation with his wife, Himanshi Narwal. The couple had initially planned to visit Europe for their honeymoon but were unable to get a visa. At the last moment, they decided on a trip to Jammu and Kashmir instead. Himanshi survived the attack.

 A video has surfaced in which she is seen saying, “I was eating bhel puri with my husband when a man came and said he’s not Muslim, then shot him.” According to initial reports, Vinay was shot in the chest, neck, and left arm, and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. His family was informed of the incident on Tuesday evening and immediately left for Jammu and Kashmir. Vinay was the only son of his parents and was supposed to celebrate his 27th birthday on May 1, upon returning from the honeymoon. “The family had planned a big party for his return,” said Amit, a family member.

Shubham Dwivedi-

  He was 31 old, a resident of Uttar Pradesh and ran a cement business. He was on a family trip to Kashmir with eight relatives, including his wife. While the rest of the family stayed behind at their hotel, Shubham and his wife went horse-riding when terrorists attacked them. The assailants asked for their religious identities before shooting Shubham in the head, killing him in front of his wife.

“I had called around 3 p.m. just to check in, as the family was on a tour. Family members said that a terrorist attack had taken place and that Shubham had been hit by a bullet. They couldn’t provide any more details at the time. Thirty minutes later, my sister-in-law called and informed me that Shubham was dead. She was crying and nearly fainting,” said Saurav Dwivedi, a cousin of Shubham. “Later, we learned that the terrorists were targeting male tourists and asking for their religious identities first.”

Dinesh Agarwal – 

 He was a Raipur-based businessman dealing in iron. He had traveled to Kashmir’s Pahalgam with his wife and other family members to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They had planned to mark the occasion in the serene valley when terrorists struck, killing him.

“Dinesh ji was my brother-in-law’s brother. Yesterday, around 5:30 p.m., we were informed that he had been shot. As we inquired further, by 9:30 p.m., we learned that he had been taken to a hospital. Later, we received confirmation of his death. His wife sustained minor injuries but is safe,” said Amar Bansal, a relative of the Mirania family. Sudhir Agrawal, another family member, added, “Around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, I received a call from Mirania’s son informing me about the incident. He told me that there had been a terror attack, followed by a stampede. We later learned that the attackers asked the names of the tourists, let the women and children go, and then shot the victims.”

N. Ramachandran –  

The 65-year-old retired man, who had worked in the UAE for several years and had been residing in Kochi for the past two years, was on a family holiday in Kashmir when the terrorist attack occurred. He was traveling with his wife, Sheela, daughter Aarti R. Menon, and twin grandchildren, Kedar and Durpat. He was shot dead by terrorists in front of his daughter while riding a horse.

“Ramachandran was shot while he was on horseback. All other family members are safe. Later, Aarti identified her father’s body at a local hospital,” said Jayalakshmi, a neighbor of the family in the Edappally area of Kochi.

Prashant Kumar Satpathi – 

Prashant Satpathy, an Accounts Officer residing in Odisha’s Balasore district, had traveled to the scenic Kashmir Valley with his wife and eight-year-old son for what was meant to be a brief family vacation. The trip ended in tragedy when terrorists opened fire indiscriminately on tourists. According to sources, Prashant was shot during the initial burst of gunfire. His wife and son survived the attack.

According to Priyadarshini, Prashant’s wife, they had just completed a ropeway ride and were visiting a nearby restaurant when the terrorists struck. “My husband fell before me, blood flowing from his head. I went out to seek help, and when I returned, army personnel—who had already arrived at the site—were rushing him to the hospital,” she recounted.

J.S. Chandramouli – 

Chandramouli, a 68-year-old retired SBI employee from Pandurangapuram in Visakhapatnam, had been eagerly looking forward to a Kashmir trip with his wife, Naga Mani. Along with two other senior citizen couples, they arrived in Jammu on April 18 and were scheduled to return on April 26 after touring several popular destinations in Kashmir. However, their vacation ended in tragedy when Chandramouli’s bullet-ridden body was discovered near the site of a terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday. He had been reported missing following the attack. His wife and the other four members, who had managed to escape amidst the chaos, frantically searched for him. Eventually, Naga Mani called her brother, DSP Rao, and informed him about the incident. He reached out to officers in Jammu and Kashmir, requesting help in locating Chandramouli. Sadly, his body was found later.

Chandramouli’s brother-in-law, B. Nageswara Rao, who is the Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Visakhapatnam, shared, “Chandramouli celebrated his 68th birthday just last week before setting off on the vacation with the two other couples. All six were excited about exploring the beautiful tourist spots in Kashmir.”

Bharat Bhushan – 

A 41-year-old former software engineer from Bengaluru, Karnataka, was vacationing with his wife, Sujatha, and their three-year-old son in Kashmir. The family had traveled to the region on April 18 through a tour operator, inspired by neighbors who described the area as peaceful. They were scheduled to return on April 23 but were caught in a terror attack during their visit to Pahalgam. Bhushan was shot dead in front of his wife and son after the terrorists asked for his name and religion. Vimala, Bhushan’s mother-in-law, shared that Sujatha called her around 2:45 p.m. on April 22, shortly after the attack, to inform her of Bhushan’s death. “My daughter called me around 2:45 p.m. to tell us about the incident,” she said.

His mother-in-law reported that the attackers identified him as a Hindu, shot him in the head, and continued firing until he collapsed. Sujatha and their son were spared, as the terrorists reportedly did not target women and children.

This horrifying incident has shaken the entire nation. Fathers, sons, and newlyweds lost their lives in an act of targeted brutality. Their families, left in grief and disbelief, now seek answers and justice. As the country mourns, this attack stands as a grim reminder of the fragility of peace and the human cost of violence.