'I saw my father fall': Kochi woman recalls terror attack in Pahalgam

Menon, her 65-year-old father, and her six-year-old twin sons were walking through a fenced grassland in Baisaran when the unimaginable happened. Her mother Sheela had stayed back in the car.

Kochi: Three days after witnessing her father N Ramachandran being gunned down before her eyes, Arathi Menon is back home.

Arathi recollects the chilling incident and also tells how two Kashmiri drivers helped her.

On hearing the gun shots and realising that some terror attacks were taking place, Arathi along with her father and two children ran into the forest areas, but one terrorist intercepted them and asked them to lie down.

"He pointed gun at my father and asked him to recite something like 'kalma'. Then he shot my father in front of me. As I was crying hugging my father, the terrorist also pointed his gun at my head. My children were screaming and asked me to run to safety. It was indeed a wake up call for the mother in me. I realised that my father is already dead. I took my children and ran into the forest,"Arathi told reporters.

She said after about 45 minutes upon reaching a location where mobile phone connectivity was available, she called her taxi driver Muzafar and informed him about the incident. He swiftly rushed towards them. 

"Muzafar and another driver Sameeer helped me with all the formalities related to mortal remains of my father,' Arathi said adding that ''like a sister''. ''While leaving Kashmir I told them that I have two brothers in Kashmir now and also told them they will have Allah's blessing," said Arathi.

Ramachandran's body was brought to Kochi on Wednesday night. Hundreds of people and political party leaders paid homage to him. Funeral will be performed on Friday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement that around 575 Malayalis were reported to be stranded in Kashmir. Their relatives have given the information at the NORKA-Roots, the Kerala government agency for welfare of non-resident Keralites.

Pinarayi Vijayan said in a statement said that arrangements were made to provide all sorts of help and travel bookings facilities for the Keralites in Kashmir as well as Delhi.