The aftermath of the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals, has brought immense sorrow to families and communities across India. As the mortal remains of the victims were flown back to their hometowns, the grief of the loss was felt across the nation. The journey of these fallen individuals, from the places of death to their final resting places, serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the tragedy that struck innocent lives.
The mortal remains of Manish Ranjan, a section officer with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), reached Ranchi on Thursday morning. Ranjan, who had travelled to Kashmir with his family for a vacation, was tragically killed in the terror attack. He had been posted in Hyderabad and was on a much-needed break. Upon arrival at Ranchi Airport, the body was solemnly received by local leaders and officials, including Babulal Marandi, the BJP president of Jharkhand. From there, his remains were taken to Jhalda in West Bengal’s Purulia district, his native place, where his family awaited him for his final rites.
Corporal Tage Hailyang, a member of the Indian Air Force from Arunachal Pradesh, also lost his life in the attack. Hailyang had been on vacation in Kashmir with his wife when he was killed. His mortal remains were flown back to Guwahati on a special flight in the early hours of Thursday. Assam’s Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah was present at the Air Force base to receive the body and pay tribute to the brave soldier. Hailyang’s wife, who survived the attack,accompanied his remains. From Guwahati, his body was to be transported to his native village in Lower Subansiri district for the final rites, surrounded by loved ones and the local community.
The father-son duo from Gujarat, Yatish Parmar and his son Smit, had travelled to Kashmir to attend the spiritual discourse of Morari Bapu. Their journey, meant to bring peace and insight, ended in a devastating tragedy. Their mortal remains were brought back to Ahmedabad from Mumbai, where they had been flown after the attack. Gujarat’s Health Minister Rushikesh Patel and Minister of State for Health Harsh Sanghavi were among those who paid floral tributes at the airport. From there, the bodies were transported to Bhavnagar for the last rites, where Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is expected to attend the funeral.
Suresh Kalathiya, a victim from Surat, also suffered an immense loss. Kalathiya had gone to Pahalgam with his wife and two children for a holiday, but the terror attack turned their lives upside down. Kalathiya, who had recently moved to Mumbai for work, was among those killed while his family survived the brutal assault. His mortal remains were brought back to Surat from Mumbai on Wednesday night, where they were received by Union Minister CR Paatil and other local dignitaries. Kalathiya’s family, including his wife and children, also returned to Surat with the body. His final rites are set to be held in Surat, where his community and loved ones will gather to pay their respects.
Pune woke up to heartbreak on Thursday as the mortal remains of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote — two friends who were among the 26 victims of the Pahalgam terror attack — were brought home. The two had been on a holiday to Kashmir with their families.
Their bodies arrived in Pune in the early hours of Thursday, where Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol received them at the airport. A wave of grief swept across the city as the two men — Jagdale, an interior designer, and Ganbote, a farsan entrepreneur — were laid to rest at Vaikunth Crematorium later that morning.
The duo, childhood friends, had long supported each other — Jagdale often pitched in with marketing efforts for Ganbote’s business. Their families, united in friendship and now in grief, described the trip to Kashmir as a rare getaway that turned into a nightmare.
In a moment that gripped the city’s collective conscience, Jagdale’s daughter Asavari, 26, led his funeral procession still wearing the bloodstained clothes from the day of the attack — a silent but powerful reminder of the horror they had survived. Her mother too was injured but survived the ambush. Onlookers joined the family in shouting anti-Pakistan slogans as the procession moved through the streets.
Thousands gathered to pay their final respects. Emotions ran high as friends, relatives, and complete strangers mourned together.
Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar visited the bereaved families to offer condolences. As they recounted the trauma, family members demanded the strictest punishment for those behind the attack.
Maharashtra minister Madhuri Misal also visited Jagdale’s residence and extended her support.
As Pune grappled with the loss of two of its own, the city stood united in sorrow — and in anger.
33-year-old Neeraj Udhwani had flown down from Dubai to attend a wedding in Jaipur. On an impulse he decided to take a quick trip to Kashmir with his wife. That spontaneous getaway ended in unimaginable horror.
On Thursday, Neeraj’s last rites were performed at Moksh Dham in Jhalana, Jaipur, in a funeral marked by grief, disbelief, and searing anger. His elder brother, Kishore Udhwani, lit the pyre while Neeraj’s wife Ayushi, still in shock, struggled to hold back her tears.
Neeraj had been working as a chartered accountant in Dubai and had come home to celebrate a joyous family occasion. Instead, his body returned in a casket late Wednesday night, leaving an entire neighbourhood in mourning.
A stream of political leaders, including Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, deputy chief ministers Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa, former CM Ashok Gehlot and Congress state chief Govind Singh Dotasra, visited the family’s residence in Model Town to pay their respects.
“The entire country condemns this heinous act. Every ounce of blood will be avenged. The Centre has taken some tough decisions and more such measures will follow. The Centre and the state government stand with Neeraj's family in this hour of grief,” said CM Sharma.
But grief soon gave way to anger. Among the mourners, a woman raised her voice in anguish: “This is your government's failure. What is the point of deploying security here now?”
Union Minister Shekhawat, who was present at the time, stood silently with folded hands, acknowledging the pain and fury of a people shattered by loss.Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, and Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi were among those who accompanied Tanuj from his home to the crematorium, around a kilometre away.
Many of those waiting on the two sides of the road to the crematorium broke down when they saw Tanuj throwing puffed rice while accompanying his father's body as per the ritual.
A traumatised nine-year-old Tanuj Kumar Satpathy lit the funeral pyre of his father, Prashant Satpathy, at their village in Odisha's Balasore district on Thursday morning. It was difficult for Prashant's relatives to take the body to the crematorium as his wife Priya Darshini did not allow anyone to touch it.
She hugged the body as long as she could till she fainted.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena, and Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi were among those who accompanied Tanuj from his home to the crematorium, around a kilometre away.
Many of those waiting on the two sides of the road to the crematorium broke down when they saw Tanuj throwing puffed rice while accompanying his father's body as per the ritual.
In Pahalgam’s Hapatnard village, hundreds gathered under a gloomy sky to pay their final respects to Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 30-year-old ponywallah whose mortal remains were laid to rest amid tears and solemn prayers. The young man, known for ferrying tourists to Baisaran meadow, died while trying to protect them—reportedly attempting to snatch a weapon from one of the terrorists before being gunned down. His body, brought home by locals late Tuesday night, was buried with full community honour, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah personally offering fatiha and assuring the grieving family of government support. As Shah’s coffin was lowered into the ancestral graveyard, mourners saluted his courage, remembering him not only as a victim, but as a hero who stood up to terror in a moment of unflinching bravery.
Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur, the only son in the family, was on a week-long trip to Kashmir with his wife Ashanya, parents, in-laws, sister, brother-in-law, and her sister's in-laws when terrorists shot him from point-blank range in front of his wife. His cremation was attended by Uttar Pradesh Cabinet ministers Yogendra Upadhyay and Rakesh Sachan, who placed wreaths on Dwivedi and offered their condolences to the bereaved family.
A guard of honour was also presented to the departed soul, officials said.
Recounting the horrific incident, Ashanya said, "The terrorists asked people if they were Muslims, and if so, to recite 'kalma' (Islamic declaration of faith). Before I could sense what exactly was happening, they shot Shubham in front of me as soon as he said he was a Hindu."
(With inputs from PTI)
