April 22, 2025… Everything was as usual in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Tourists are enjoying the beautiful views. There was laughter and banter in the valley, but after that everything changed in a moment. Happiness turned into mourning. The laughter turned into shouting and screaming. Terrorists shot 26 innocent people in front of their families.
The terrorists asked for names/religion, forced some to recite the Kalma, and shot non-Muslims (which included mostly Hindus, one Christian and one Nepali). A local Muslim pony driver was also martyred while trying to intervene. Today is the same 22nd April. It has been a year since this incident happened, but the memories of this horrifying scene are still in people's minds. Let us tell you about those 26 people who lost their lives in this attack.
Sushil Nathaniel was a resident of Indore, who died in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. 58 year old Sushil had come to Kashmir from Indore with his family to celebrate Easter. When he was having fun with his family in Baisaran Valley, terrorists came there and asked him to recite Kalma. He told that he is a Christian and he does not know Kalma. As soon as he said this, the terrorists shot him and silenced him forever. In this chaos, his daughter Akanksha's leg was injured. The family described him as a devoted father who was firm in his religion. His wife saw this horrific incident with her own eyes and told that the attackers also took selfies with the dead bodies.
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, resident of Hapat Nar village of Anantnag, was a local Muslim. He used to earn around Rs 300 per day by taking tourists to Baisaran grounds. Adil, the sole breadwinner of his elderly parents, wife and children, displayed bravery during the attack when he tried to snatch a terrorist's rifle to protect the tourists. During this time he was shot several times and died. His bravery saved the lives of many people. Adil's cousin Najakat also helped in taking the tourists to a safe place. Adil is remembered as a hardworking and selfless person. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met his family and helped the family.
Hemant Suhas Joshi lived in Dombivali, Mumbai. He worked in a private company and lived with his wife Monica and son Dhruv. Before the journey he had made arrangements to take care of his father. He was one of three maternal uncle's children from the same locality of Dombivali, who had gone on a family holiday with six other relatives (nine people in total). The terrorists shot him also. Hemant sent a message to the family in the morning and after a few hours the news of his death came, leaving the family in shock. A member of the family got injured.
26 year old Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, resident of Haryana, married Himanshi on 16 April. The couple was on honeymoon in Kashmir. While eating Bhelpuri in the grassland, terrorists shot him in the head at close range. During this time his wife survived. His photograph became a symbol of this tragedy. That picture shocked everyone. Vinay joined the Navy in 2022 and is remembered as a promising young officer. His family, including his father Hawa Singh Narwal, is in deep mourning today. His wife Himanshi later appealed against communal violence and emphasized on peace.
Atul Shrikant Moni, who worked in Railways, lived in Dombivali West with his wife Anushka and daughter Rucha. He had gone to Kashmir to visit with his family, from where he could not return alive. He was also accompanied by his two maternal uncles' sons Hemant Suhas Joshi and Sanjay Laxman Lele. Atul's family was among the nine members of the joint group that met with the accident. A member of his family was injured in this clash. After the incident, there was mourning in the entire Dombivali.
33 year old Neeraj Udhwani, resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan, was a chartered accountant in Dubai. He had gone to Kashmir with his wife after attending a wedding. According to the report, a terrorist asked Neeraj to show his ID card. After this he was shot. His wife and entire family were shocked by this incident.
36 year old engineer Bitan Adhikari used to work in America. He had come to his hometown Patuli, Kolkata on leave.
During this time, he had gone to Kashmir for holidays with his wife and 3 year old son. The terrorists shot him in front of his son.
Sudeep Neupane, resident of Lumbini region of Nepal, was also brutally murdered in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. 27-year-old Sudeep had gone on a family holiday to Kashmir with his mother, sister and brother-in-law. He was the only foreign tourist from Nepal among the victims. According to the report, after seeing Sudeep's growing beard, the terrorists asked him to take the name of Allah but Sudeep did not do so. After this he was shot.
30 year old Shubham Dwivedi, resident of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was newly married. He went on honeymoon with his wife Aishanya Pandey. According to reports, the terrorists first targeted Shubham. He was shot while eating in a meadow.
Prashant Kumar Satpathy, 41, resident of Balasore, Odisha, was on a family holiday trip with his wife Priyadarshini and son. He was enjoying in the meadow when he was shot. His entire family was shocked by this incident.
Manish Ranjan, a resident of Purulia, West Bengal, was working as a section officer in Hyderabad. Manish was on a family pilgrimage with his wife and children. The terrorists shot him. His wife and children survived. The pain of losing her husband and father is still visible in her eyes.
Manish Ranjan, a resident of Kerala, had returned from Gulf countries some time ago. That 65 year old N. Ramchandra had gone to Kashmir for a holiday with his wife, daughter and grandchildren. During this time he became a victim of terrorists' bullets. His death caused a wave of mourning in the entire state. Even today family members get emotional remembering him.
Sanjay Laxman Lali, living in Dombivali, Maharashtra, had gone to Kashmir with his entire family. During this time, he and his two maternal uncle's sons, Atul Shrikant Mone and Hemant Suhas Joshi, were murdered. Sanjay's son got shot in his hand. It is said that there was a lot of love between the three cousins since childhood. His family (wives and children) were also part of the traveling party, but they survived.
Dinesh Aggarwal was a businessman in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. Dinesh had gone to Kashmir with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary. But this anniversary turned out to be their last. His death turned the celebration into tragedy. His wife could not recover from this shock today.
Sameer Guha, working in the Ministry of Statistics in Kolkata, had gone to Kashmir on a family holiday with his wife Sabri and daughter Subhangi. He arrived on 16 April. Sameer was murdered in front of his wife and daughter.
Dilip Desale, a resident of Panvel, Maharashtra, was killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Dilip had gone on a sightseeing trip with his family. Then he was shot by the terrorists. Dilip Desale was given a final farewell with full state honors in his native village Panvel.
J., resident of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Sachandra Moli was killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. Chandramouli, a 68-year-old retired employee, was on leave with his wife and four others. They became separated from their group; His bullet-riddled body was found hours later. It is said that he was very excited to go to Kashmir.
For Madhusudan Somisetti of Bengaluru, a family holiday turned into tragedy instead of peace. He was brutally killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Madhusudan was on leave with his family.
Santosh Jagdale, who lost his life, was a businessman living in Pune, Maharashtra. He was on a family trip with his wife and daughter. According to reports, when he was asked to recite the Kalma but he could not do so, after which he was shot in front of his family.
Real estate businessman Manjunath Rao, resident of Shivamogga, Karnataka, lost his life in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025. He had gone for a holiday with his family. This tragic incident took place in Baisaran Valley, in which he along with many other tourists was targeted. His wife Pallavi confronted the attackers and asked them to shoot her too. It is said that one of them refused.
Kaustubh Ganbote, a resident of Pune, Maharashtra, had gone to Kashmir with his wife Sangeeta for a holiday. Where the terrorists shot him dead in front of his wife. Sangeeta says that the attack that took place was very dangerous and she will not be able to forget it till her death.
Bharat Bhushan, 35, resident of Bengaluru, was on a family holiday with his wife and younger son. He was having fun with his family at the time of the incident. Then the terrorists targeted him and shot him.
17 year old Sumit Parmar was a student living in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. He had gone with his father Yatish Parmar to attend the religious sermon of Morari Bapu in Shmeer. There were about 20 more people with him. The terrorists had killed Sumit and his father. Mitt was the youngest of the victims.
45 year old Yatish Parmar was the owner of a hair salon. He was on a spiritual journey with his son Sumit Parmar. Both Yatish and Sumit died together in the terrorist attack. Several other members of the family also got injured.
Tage Hailiang, a corporal in the Indian Air Force, was a resident of Arunachal Pradesh. Tage had gone to Kashmir on holiday with his wife. He was newly married. He was roaming in Barsan when he was shot by terrorists.
Shailesh Kalathiya, resident of Surat, used to work in Mumbai. 44 year old Shailesh was holidaying in Kashmir with his wife Shitalben, son Naksh and elder daughter Neeti. During this time, he was brutally murdered in front of his family. His family still shudders remembering that incident.
