Pahalgam terror attack: ‘Our lives were destroyed in 30 minutes’

They forced us to remove our bindis and recite lsquoAzaanrsquo yet fired at usrdquo recounted the widows describing the horrifying incident in Pahalgam Shocked and moved by their story relatives friends political leaders and citizens of Pune gathered in large numbers for the final rites Among the 26 deceased in the Pahalgam carnage were two men from PunemdashKaustubh Ganbote and Santosh JagdaleA brutal terror attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir claimed the lives of 26 innocent tourists including six from Maharashtra Among the deceased were two men from PunemdashKaustubh Ganbote and Santosh Jagdale Their sudden and tragic deaths have sparked widespread grief and outrage with survivors painting a chilling picture of the attack and demanding answers from the governmentSantosh Jagdalersquos wife Pragati clings to her husbandrsquos coffinldquoThere was no security at allrdquo said Pragati Jagdale the wife of Santosh Jagdale ldquoOur people were lying in pools of blood The terrorists came armed and began firing indiscriminately They didnrsquot check who we weremdashthey just shot straight in our heads eyes and chestsrdquo said Pragati She recalled how the attackersmdashsix or seven in numbermdashwreaked havoc in less than thirty minutes ldquoThey destroyed our lives in half an hourrdquo she said with deep sorrow and rageKaustubh Ganbotes wife Sangeeta Gantobe shared similar horrors ldquoThey asked if we could recite the Azaan In desperation we began chanting lsquoAllahu Akbarrsquo Still they gunned down our husbands Even a Muslim horseman who tried to help was stripped and shot in cold bloodrdquo She described their desperate escape barefoot through kneedeep mud ldquoWe were terrified But our Muslim horsemen came back for us They were good peoplerdquo she added ldquoOne of them even questioned the terroristsmdashwhy kill innocent people He was shot as wellrdquoThe bodies of Ganbote and Jagdale arrived at Pune Airport around 430 am on Thursday informed police They were taken to their respective homes Jagadalersquos casket was taken to his home located at Dnyandeep Colony Karvenagar while Ganbotersquos casket was taken to his home located at Sai Nagar Kondhwa where citizens and local leaders gathered to pay their last respects NCP Sharad Pawar faction leader Sharad Pawar visited the grieving families ldquoBlow off the terroristsrsquo heads Shoot them and show us their fleshrdquo Pragati demanded emotionallyKaustubh Ganbotersquos body being brought home to Sai Nagar Kondhva in PuneKaustubh Ganbote a wellknown entrepreneur from Kondhwa had successfully run his snack business lsquoGanbote Farsanrsquo for 15 years Neighbours remembered how proud he was when he recently installed a new signboard for the shop He often told a friend ldquoNow Irsquove become an ajoba grandfather all thatrsquos left is to see the worldrdquo At his residence in Sainagar during the final rites his wife Sangeeta broke down in tears Speaking to a family friend she said ldquoYou and they are both Muslims then how can there be such a difference between yourdquoSantosh Jagdale had promised his 86yearold mother that he would bring her a special gift from Kashmir Instead she was left grieving over his dead body Santosh and Kaustubh had been childhood friends Both were cremated together at Vaikunth crematorium surrounded by a large crowd of mourners The attack has sparked outrage across Maharashtra People are angry over the lack of security in such a sensitive area especially during the tourist season Social media has been flooded with criticism of the central government and defence authorities Citizens and experts alike are demanding accountability and strong retaliatory measuresA show of supportA torch march Mashaal Andolan was held on Wednesday night at Bhakti Shakti Chowk Nigdi organised by the Hindu Sakal Samaj A large number of citizens gathered to denounce the cowardly terrorist attack and show solidarity with the victimsrsquo familiesatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params