A family vacation turned into a nightmare for Manjunath Rao, a real estate businessman and resident of Shivamogga, his wife Pallavi, and their son Abhijay, when Manjunath was shot dead in a terror attack in Kashmir.
Speaking to TNM, Pallavi said they had reached Kashmir three days earlier and were about to go on a pony ride at Baisaran Valley. But since their son was hungry, the couple stepped out to get him something to eat.
“He hadn’t eaten anything that day and it was lunchtime. We weren’t sure what to get him. At the shop, my husband asked me to go bring our son. As I was going towards my son, I heard gunshots. My husband was lying on the ground,” Pallavi recounted.
She said that she and Abhijay rushed to Manjunath and saw he had been shot in the neck. “I told them to shoot me too, but they said, ‘Go tell Modi,’” Pallavi told TNM.
According to her, the attackers fired from a distance. “They must have seen me with him. I was wearing sindoor on my forehead – they would have known he was Hindu,” she said.
Pallavi said the family had been especially excited to visit ‘Switzerland Point’ in the valley. Pahalgam, a favourite destination for tourists, is home to several scenic spots like the Aru Valley and Baisaran Valley. With schools closed for the summer holidays, families from across the country have been flocking to Kashmir.
Eyewitnesses told the media that the Baisaran meadow, nestled deep in the valley, is accessible only by foot, horseback, or chopper. On the day of the attack, it was crowded with tourists as the weather had cleared after days of rain and storms.
Police believe the gunmen trekked down from the surrounding mountains through pine forests bordering the valley before opening fire on tourists, The Wire reported.
The Karnataka government has announced a helpline for relatives, tour operators, and travel agents to get information about tourists from the state currently visiting Kashmir. The helpline numbers are 080 43344334, 080 43344335, 080 43344336, and 080 43344342.
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