The daughter of a Pune businessman, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has claimed that the terrorists specifically targeted the male tourists and asked them their religion.
Officials said two businessmen Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote from Maharashtra were injured in a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday and died later.
According to officials, on Tuesday, a major tourist destination in Pahalgam, South Kashmir was attacked by militants, killing at least 26 people, most of which were tourists, and many others were injured.
He said that the dead include two foreigners (United Arab Emirates and Nepal) and two local citizens.
Jagdale was part of the five -member group, including his wife Pragati, daughter Asavari, Kaustubh Ganbote and Sangeeta Ganbote, who went to Pahalgam on Tuesday.
Human resource professional 26 -year -old Asavari in Pune told PTI that his father and uncle were shot by terrorists when he was at a stop called ‘Mini Switzerland’ in the desperate valley.
He said, “Many tourists were present there, but the terrorists specifically targeted male tourists and asked them whether they were Hindus or Muslims.”
The family was holidaying at the delightful place when he came down from the nearby hill and heard the sound of firing of “people dressed like local police”.
Asavari said, “We immediately fled to a nearby tent for security. Six to seven other (tourists) also fled there. We all lay on the ground to avoid firing. We estimated that the firing took place between terrorists and security personnel.”
He said that a group of terrorists first came into a nearby tent and started firing.
He said, “Then he came to our tent and asked my father to come out. ‘Chaudhary you come out’.
He said that after this, the terrorists accused him of supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which he issued some statements and denied that Kashmiri terrorists kill innocent people, women and children.
He told, “After this he asked my father to recite an Islamic verse (possibly Kalma). When he failed to do so, he shot him three bullets, one head, one on the ear and in a back.”
He said, “My uncle was next to me. The terrorists shot him four to five bullets. They also shot many other men on the spot. There was no one to help. There was no police or army, which arrived after 20 minutes. Even the local people were reading Islamic rectangles there.”
Asavari, her mother and another female relative were rescued and local people and security forces rushed her to Pahalgam Club.
He said, “Those who reached the spot with us on the ponies helped us the three women, including me and my mother, were helped in the return journey. Later medical examination was done to examine our injuries and then we were transferred to Pahalgam Club.”
He said, “We ran away with other tourists after the firing started. The Indian Army later reached the spot and saved us.”