Mumbai: At least six people from Maharashtra were killed while five others got injured in the Tuesday’s terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
“After the firing started, we ran along with other tourists,” recalled Asavari Jagdale, a 26-year-old human resource professional from Pune, who lost her father and uncle in the attack.
A group of five — Asavari, father Santosh Jagdale, mother Pragati, Kaustubh Ganbote and Sangita Ganbote — had just begun their Kashmir trip from Pahalgam when the terrorists opened fire. Santosh and Kaustubh sustained bullet injuries and were among the six people declared dead late Tuesday.
“There were several tourists around, but the terrorists specifically targetted males after asking whether they were Hindus or Muslims. They then asked my father to recite an Islamic verse. When he failed to do so, they pumped three bullets. Later, the Indian Army reached the spot and rescued us,” Asavar recalled.
The six deceased also include four residents of Mumbai Metropolitan Region — Atul Mone (43), Hemant Joshi (45), Sanjay Lele (50) and Dilip Disale.
“Total three tourists from Dombivli — Atul Mone (43), Hemant Joshi (45), Sanjay Lele (50) — lost their life in Pahalgam attack. Rest six family members are safe which includes Anushka Mone, Rucha Mone, Monika Joshi, Dhruv Joshi, Kavita Lele and Harshal Lele,” district administration of Thane said.
Atul, a senior section engineer in the Central Railway, had gone to Kashmir with his wife and 18-year-old daughter.
“They showed Atul Mone’s name in the list of those killed in Jammu and Kashmir. We were shocked. My special, brotherly friend has been killed in this mindless attack,” Mahesh Surse, a close friend of Atul for 25 years, said.
Surse, who lives in the same building as Mone, had planned to visit Kashmir with his family on May 22, but has now cancelled the trip.
Sanjay Lele, who was working in a pharma company in Mumbai, had travelled wife and son. “Sanjay Lele is my brother-in-law. His son, Harshal’s finger was grazed by a bullet. The rest of the family is safe. We are leaving there by the morning flight,” Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) sub-district chief Rajesh Kadam said.
The state government has coordinated with central government for arrangements of the special flights to bring back mortal remains of six tourists died in the terror attack and evacuate stranded tourists from Srinagar.
“The mortal remains of Sanjay Lele and Dilip Disale will be brought to Mumbai via an Air India flight from Srinagar. This flight will depart Srinagar at 12:15 PM. The mortal remains of Kaustubh Ganwate and Santosh Jagdale from Pune will depart at 6 PM and will be brought to Pune. The mortal remains of Hemant Joshi and Atul Mone will be flown from Srinagar at 1:15 PM and will reach Mumbai,” statement issued by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s office read.
According to data available with the state government, the authenticity of it is yet to be verified, over 500 tourists from Maharashtra are stranded in parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
Bodies of the deceased, accompanied by relatives, will be flown to Mumbai later on Wednesday.
“We have arranged special flights to bring back stranded tourists from Maharashtra. The first flight to Mumbai will depart at 3pm. The second flight to Pune will take off either this evening or tomorrow morning. The death toll of tourists from Maharashtra stands at six, and their bodies will be brought to Mumbai and Pune by special flights today,” minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said.
The mortal remains of two tourists from Pune are likely to be brought back to Pune by Wednesday evening, said Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who is leaving for Srinagar at 2pm to help in bringing back all the stranded tourists back to the state.