LUCKNOW: Shubham Dwivedi, 31, a businessman from Kanpur,never knew that his trip to Kashmir would be his last. Married just two months ago, he was among 26 tourists killed in Tuesday’s terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Dwivedi was shot point blank in front of his wife leaving her shocked and family and friends distraught and devastated. Dwivedi had gone to Kashmir along with his wife and 11 members of his family.
It was Shubham’s second trip to Kashmir after his wedding. “This time, Shubham decided to go with family members,” says Shubham’s cousin Saurabh.
Shubham and his wife Aishanya were in Baisaran Valley, popularly known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, along with his sister-in-law, when terrorists opened fire at tourists around eateries, said survivors in the family.
While narrating the tale of animalistic act by the terrorists, the distraught wife said they targeted male tourists only after asking their religious identity.
Saurabh claims that Aishanya pleaded with the terrorists to shoot her as well, but they asked her to go back and tell the government about what happened to her husband.
Aishanya, who hails from Lucknow married Shubham in Jhansi on February 12 this year.
There is a crowd of relatives and locals at Shubham’s house in Shyam Nagar in the Chakeri area of Kanpur. As per Shubham’s father, Sanjay Dwivedi, the family visited Pahalgam on Tuesday and later proceeded to Baisaran Valley.
When Shubham, his wife Aishanya and his sister-in-law were ascending a hill on horseback, terrorists shot Shubham dead after asking his name, said the family members.
Sanjay Dwivedi, 52, a cement trader of Maharajpur locality in Kanpur, had travelled to J&K on April 17 along with his wife Seema, 50, son Shubham, 31, daughter-in-law Aishanya, 27, daughter Aarti, 27 and six others.
The family had taken a train to Delhi, followed by a flight to Srinagar. Their return was scheduled for Wednesday, April 23.
"The couple had left the hotel at 1 pm on Tuesday for horse riding while other members of the family stayed back. As they were heading to a hilltop on horseback, they were cornered by the terrorists, who asked Aishanya about their identity. As she told them that Shubham was her husband, they shot him dead in front of her," says Shubham's uncle, Jyotishacharya Manoj Dwivedi.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to X to condole the death of Shubham Dwivedi in the Pahalgam terror attack. Yogi spoke to the bereaved family, assuring them of all help from the state government.
He also posted a condolence message for Shubham and other victims of the attack on the social media platform ‘X.
The CM sent Kanpur DM Jitendra Pratap Singh and Police Commissioner Akhil Kumar to call on the bereaved family. UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana, who is also the BJP MLA from Maharajpur constituency of Kanpur, visited Hathipur, the ancestral village of Shubham Dwivedi to offer condolences to the grieving family.
The family was informed that Shubham’s mortal remains will be cremated with honours befitting a martyr. Meanwhile, BJP MP Devendra Singh Bhole also visited Shubham's family and assured them of all possible assistance.