'Wife by his side, shot 42 times': Calamitous end to Bengaluru techie's Kashmir trip

IBM professional was on weeklong family holiday when militants attacked.

Bengaluru: S Madhusudan Rao, the third tourist from Karnataka killed by militants in Kashmir, was shot 42 times while his wife lay by his side, a family member has revealed.

Madhusudan, 46, was sitting with his wife Kamakshi Prasanna, 42, in the scenic Baisaran valley, near the tourist resort of Pahalgam, when militants targeted him on April 22. At the time of the attack, the couple's daughter Medha Shree and son Mukund Sreedatta were at the camp.

“Madhusudhan and Kamakshi were sitting together when they heard gunshots. They immediately lay down to escape the attack, something that they had learnt while in the US. But when she raised her head, she found Madhusudhan covered in blood,” Ramesh Naidu, his brother-in-law, recounted to DH.

The Raos had left Bengaluru for Kashmir on April 20 and were scheduled to return on April 27, Naidu added.

A native of Kavali, a town near the coast in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, Madhusudan worked for tech major IBM at Embassy Manyata Business Park in northeastern Bengaluru.

His parents — Kripalu and Padmavathi — still live in Kavali. He also two sisters, both married. His father ran a fruit business.

Madhusudhan travelled frequently to the US on secondment, which sometimes lasted two years, Naidu said.

The family moved to Bengaluru about 12 years ago and lived in a rented house at Riches Garden in Ramamurthy Nagar for two years. Then, about 10 years ago, they moved into a triplex house they had built a block away.

Naidu said Kamakshi had been “inconsolable”. “Her condition is really bad,” he said.

On Wednesday, the atmosphere in Riches Garden was sombre. The family’s house was empty, but neighbours spoke fondly about them. An obituary poster has been put up at a flagpole, which is often used for religious and cultural events. Neighbours described Madhusudhan as warm, affable and down-to-earth.

Kamakshi, also a software professional, works for TCS. The daughter just finished class 12 and the son class 7.

Rekha S, a neighbour, has known the family since they lived in the rented house in the same lane as hers. A native of Shikaripura, Shivamogga district, Rekha fondly remembers the Raos.

“They are nice people. We used to interact almost daily when they lived in our lane. Madhusudan’s death has really shocked us,” she said.

She added that Madhusudan was an active member of the residents’ welfare association and participated in religious and cultural activities.

Satya Raj, who lives three houses away from the Raos, recalled how Madhusudan had arranged water tanker supplies for the neighbourhood last summer. He said he wasn't aware that the Raos were visiting Kashmir but noted that the family frequently travelled to their hometown.

Raj described Mukund as a cheerful boy and a cricket enthusiast.

According to him, Madhusudan often spent time with Telugu-speaking residents in the area. Most neighbours learnt about his death only on Wednesday morning, he said.

Madhusudan’s body is expected to reach Chennai around 3.30 am on Thursday and will later be taken by road to Kavali, where his last rites will be conducted in the day, said Naidu said.