In one of the bloodiest terror strikes in recent times, 41-year-old Bharat Bhushan, a tech professional from Bengaluru, was brutally gunned down in front of his wife and three-year-old son in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. The attack, carried out by terrorists suspected to be affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy outfit, ‘The Resistance Front’, left 26 dead and dozens injured, turning a serene tourist haven into a nightmare.
According to Bhushan’s mother-in-law, who spoke to her daughter Sujatha after the incident, the terrorists coldly asked the victims whether they were Hindus before opening fire.
“They apparently asked, ‘Are you Hindu?’ and then shot them. My son-in-law was murdered because of his faith,” she said through tears. “They didn’t touch the women or children, but the men… they were shot in the head. They kept shooting till they fell.”
Sujatha, a doctor by profession, realised instantly that her husband was no more. Acting with incredible presence of mind amidst chaos and carnage, she picked up her husband’s phone and wallet and ran to safety with their child. The Indian Army quickly secured the area and moved the survivors to a safe location.
Bhushan, originally from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, was the co-manager of a family-run diagnostic centre and had made a quiet life for himself in Bengaluru’s Mattikere with his young family. This vacation to Kashmir was supposed to be a break from routine — a chance to make memories. Instead, it turned into a tragedy that will haunt his loved ones forever.
Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya confirmed he had spoken to the grieving Sujatha and coordinated with authorities for her safety.
“Her husband was shot dead in cold blood. She and her little boy survived. The local administration is providing all necessary support,” he posted on X.
Another tourist from Karnataka, Manjunath Rao, a realtor from Shivamogga, was also killed in the same attack. Like Bhushan, he too was travelling with his wife and son.
What was meant to be a tranquil day among Pahalgam’s green hills and lush orchards turned into a blood-soaked horror. Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of utter panic as multiple terrorists stormed the Baisaran Valley, firing indiscriminately. With no shelter in the wide-open landscape, tourists were left defenceless, caught between bullets and fear.
Among the dead were a recently-married Navy officer, an Intelligence Bureau agent shot dead before his wife, two foreign nationals from the UAE and Nepal, and two locals — their lives snuffed out in a matter of moments.
Security forces have since launched a full-scale manhunt. A photograph of four terrorists believed to be behind the attack has been released. Two are suspected to be foreign nationals. Though TRF, a Lashkar-backed proxy, has claimed responsibility, an official confirmation from the government is awaited.
This was not just an attack on individuals. It was a direct assault on the idea of peaceful coexistence, on the spirit of tourism, on the safety of innocents. And above all, it was a hate crime of the worst kind, targeting people for their faith.
