'Terrorists killed my husband, told me to go and tell Modi': Karnataka woman narrates Pahalgam horror

Manjunath Rao, a real estate businessman from Shivamogga in Karnataka is one of the tourists who died in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday. 

 

Rao had reached Kashmir along with his wife Pallavi and son Abhijeya on a vacation four days ago and had called his family back home on Tuesday morning to inform them they were safe after the cloud burst in the valley the previous day. 

 

However, hours later, he lost his life as terrorists opened fire indiscriminately at them in what could be the worst attack in the region in several years.

 

Pallavi, a manager with the Mamcos in Birur, called her office seeking help and also informed her relatives about her husband's death. 

 

The relatives told reporters that the family had gone to Kashmir (through an agency) to celebrate the success of their son, who scored 98 per cent in the PU exams. 

 

Pallavi who contacted the Kannada TV channels seeking their help to bring her husband's body home, narrated her ordeal in the valley and her encounter with the terrorists. 

 

"It is my bad luck we came here for a holiday. There were at least 500 tourists on this hill known as 'mini Switzerland' in Pahalgam and we went uphill on horseback. Once we reached the hilltop, we heard a gunshot sound and dismissed it as some military activity. As my son was hungry my husband went to the nearby eatery. When I turned to look for my husband, I noticed people running. I took my son along and reached my husband, who was lying in a pool of blood. They had hit a single shot into his head. The terrorist was standing before me. I told him 'mere pati ko mare ho na, mujhe bhi maaro' ( since you have killed my husband, go ahead and kill me too). My son also told him 'kutte, mere paapa ko mara hai, him dono ko bhi maar do ( Dog! You killed my father. Now kill the both of us). He told us, 'tumko nahi maarenge, Modi ko boldo' (I will not kill you. Go and report to Modi) and he left," recalled Pallavi, adding that three locals escorted them to safety and kept chanting 'Bismilah' while climbing down the hill by foot.

 

Pallavi clarified that there were no Army personnel in sight and the terrorists had targeted only the men and let the women and children go. 

 

"Please help me bring back my husband's body home at the earliest," pleaded Pallavi.

India