(From left) Manish Ranjan, an Intelligence Bureau officer; J Chandramouli, a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam; Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao from Kavali in Nellore district
Hyderabad: In a devastating terrorist attack that has sent shock waves across the country, three tourists from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were among 28 people killed when terrorists struck the Baisaran area in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
The victims included a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam, a software professional from Nellore district, both of whom from Andhra Pradesh were on vacation with their families, and an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer from Telangana's Hyderabad.
The attack, one of the deadliest in recent years in the Kashmir Valley, has cast a pall of gloom over the Telugu states, with friends and relatives of the victims struggling to come to terms with the brutal and senseless violence that claimed innocent lives during what should have been a peaceful vacation.
J Chandramouli, a retired bank employee from Visakhapatnam, met a tragic end when he attempted to flee from the attackers. According to eyewitness accounts shared by his relatives in Visakhapatnam, the terrorists chased him down and, despite his desperate pleas for mercy, shot him dead in cold blood.
"Go and tell your Prime Minister Modi," the terrorists reportedly shouted before firing indiscriminately at Chandramouli, who collapsed on the spot with fatal injuries.
Chandramouli was visiting Kashmir with his wife, Naga Mani, and four others. The group had arrived in Kashmir on April 18 for what was supposed to be a pleasant holiday. After visiting several other places in Kashmir Chandramouli's group had only arrived in Pahalgam a day before.
Fellow tourists discovered his body nearly three hours after the shooting. He leaves behind two daughters who live in the United States.
Another victim, Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao from Kavali in Nellore district, was working as a senior software engineer in Bengaluru. He had visited Jammu & Kashmir with his family and neighbors when tragedy struck.
Madhusudhan Rao had moved to Bengaluru three years ago and had settled there with his wife Kamakshi, whom he married 20 years ago.
The couple has a daughter studying in Intermediate and a son in 8th grade.
In a heart-wrenching development, his elderly parents—Tirupalu (80) and Padmavati—who run a banana business in Kummara Street in Kavali, have not yet been informed about their son's death. Both are heart patients, and relatives are deeply concerned about how they will handle the devastating news.
Manish Ranjan, an Intelligence Bureau officer who was also on holiday in Kashmir with his family, became the third victim from the region. When gunshots were heard, Ranjan instructed his wife and children to run in the opposite direction, effectively sacrificing himself to save his family.
They became separated during the chaos, and Ranjan was shot dead. His wife and children survived the attack. The family tried repeatedly to contact him by phone—calls that initially went through but later showed his phone as being out of coverage.
Meanwhile, mortal remains of Chandramouli reached Visakhapatnam on Wednesday evening. Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu received the mortal remains and paid respect to Chandramouli and consoled the bereaved family. Final rites are expected to be held on Thursday.
Madhusudhan Rao's remains will be transported to Chennai and then to Kavali for final rites.