'We did what they wanted, our husbands were still shot dead': Pahalgam attack survivor recounts trauma

A day after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that left at least 26 people dead, including several tourists, one of the survivors, Sangita Gunbote, shared a chilling account of the violence that unfolded in front of her eyes.

“We immediately removed 'tikli' (bindi) from our foreheads and started chanting 'Allahu Akbar', hoping we would be spared. But, they still killed my husband, his friend and another person sitting nearby,” Sangita told Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Sharad Pawar, who met the bereaved families on Thursday.

Her husband, Kaustubh Gunbote (58), and his childhood friend, Santosh Jagdale (50), were among those gunned down by terrorists while vacationing with their families in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The two men, on their first trip together, were shot at close range, according to Sangita.

In the immediate aftermath, Sangita, along with Jagdale’s wife and daughter, rode on horseback to reach the main market area in Pahalgam to seek help.

“A local horse rider we had hired to reach the valley helped us reach the market,” she said. A cab driver then helped them contact authorities. “By that time, the military had started to airlift the injured to hospital,” she added.

Back in Pune, the city came to a standstill Thursday morning as thousands gathered at the Vaikunth crematorium to bid farewell to the two friends. Their mortal remains had arrived at around 4am by flight. Friends, family, neighbours, and even strangers turned up in large numbers, moved by grief and outrage over the brutal attack.

State and national leaders also visited the families. Besides Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Union minister Murlidhar Mohol, and state minister Madhuri Misal met the relatives and paid their respects at the funeral.

“What the terrorists did was inhuman. India's reaction must send a message to the world that we will not tolerate extremism,” said Chandrakant Gadgil, one of the mourners. Another attendee, Pramila Zurange, added, “Those who were involved in the attack should be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

The attack, which comes amid heightened tensions in the region, has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of civilians and tourists in Kashmir. The families of the victims, meanwhile, are left grappling with a tragic loss that no act of justice can undo.

(With inputs from ToI)