VISAKHAPATNAM/NELLORE: Two residents of Andhra Pradesh were among the 26 civilians killed in the terrorist attack near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The victims have been identified as J S Chandramouli (68), a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam, and S Madhusudan, a senior architect from Kavali in Nellore district.
Chandramouli had travelled to Kashmir on April 18 with his wife, J Naga Mani, and two other family members. The group was staying in Srinagar and visiting tourist locations across the region. On April 22, they went to Pahalgam as part of their itinerary.
According to Mouli’s brother-in-law, Kumar Raja, the group reached Pahalgam around 1:30 pm.
“While the others managed to flee, Mouli, who had a heart problem, could not run fast. He was chased and shot dead by the attackers,” Kumar Raja said. He added that the family initially presumed him missing but later found his body at the site.
Mouli is survived by his wife and two daughters, both of whom are settled in the United States.
The family plans to shift the body to Kanaka Durga Hospital, near the Zilla Parishad office in Visakhapatnam.
His daughters are expected to arrive by Thursday evening, and the funeral is likely to be held on Friday.
Naidu announces Rs 10 lakh ex gratia to two victims of Pahalgam terror attack
On Wednesday night, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu arrived at Visakhapatnam Airport to receive Mouli’s mortal remains and paid his respects. He also interacted with the bereaved family and others who were part of the tour.
“Mouli’s friend Seshidhar described the sequence of events. It was deeply disturbing to hear how helpless they felt,” the Chief Minister said. He added, “In such moments, we must stand united as a nation. We must support each other and respond to the call for national unity.” Naidu announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of both victims.
Union Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat, MLAs, and others were present. S Madhusudan, the other victim, was a senior architect with IBM and a native of Kavali. He had been on vacation with his family, who are based in Bengaluru. Madhusudan was the son of S Tirupalu and Padma, residents of Kavali in Nellore district. His mortal remains were flown to Chennai and are expected to reach Kavali by Wednesday evening. Given the health condition of his elderly parents, the family initially chose to withhold the news from them.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed condolences and said he had coordinated with the Visakhapatnam District Collector to ensure proper transportation arrangements for the deceased. He directed all airlines to extend full cooperation in coordination with state governments and local authorities.