Pahalgam terror attack: Maharashtra man escapes Pahalgam massacre, his namesake gets killed

Santosh Jagdale, a tourist from Maharashtra’s Sangli, narrowly escaped the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. His life was spared — all because he couldn’t find a horse.

In a chilling twist of fate, another victim of the attack, also named Santosh Jagdale, a native of Pune. The coincidence of names led to panic among the Sangli resident’s family and relatives, who flooded his phone with frantic calls after hearing news reports of a “Santosh Jagdale” being killed in the firing.

Recalling the harrowing experience, Santosh said, “We had stayed the night in Pahalgam. In the morning, we planned to visit the Sun Top Point but couldn’t find horses. So we changed our route. When we returned, the terror had already unfolded. Army personnel were all around. They questioned us and safely escorted us out.”

Back home, his family and loved ones were in shock. “I was unaware of what had happened. Later, I found out that the deceased was a Santosh Jagdale from Pune,” he said. “It took some explaining to calm my family down.”

Visibly shaken but grateful, he expressed deep sorrow for the victims. “What happened was wrong. No one should have to go through something like this,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK

On Tuesday afternoon, five to six terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran meadow, which is around 5 kms from Pahalgam. The meadow – also known as ‘mini Switzerland’ – is accessible only by foot or by horseback. The Pahalgam carnage was one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the Kashmir Valley in recent years.

The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Eyewitnesses said the terrorists emerged from the surrounding pine forests and fired at people picnicking, riding ponies, or eating at food stalls. Most of the victims were tourists, including two foreigners from the UAE and Nepal, and two locals.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the attack “much larger than anything we’ve seen directed at civilians in recent years”.

With inputs from Swati Chiklikar