At least three people from West Bengal, including an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, were killed when Pakistan-based terrorists opened fire at tourists in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow on Tuesday, killing 26 people and injuring several others.
The three victims have been identified as Samir Guha, Bitan Adhikari and Manish Ranjan. While Guha and Adhikari were residents of Kolkata, Ranjan was an IB officer from Purulia district posted in Hyderabad.
Adhikari, a 40-year-old techie based in Florida, had come to Kolkata on vacation. He went to Kashmir on April 16 with wife Sohini and three-year-old son. They were supposed to return on the night of April 24.
“I even spoke with them on Tuesday morning. But then the horrific news came. He had asked me to join his family on the trip. I declined. I even advised them to avoid riding a pony in the hills,” his brother Dipak Adhikari told media persons.
“What will I tell Bitan’s son? He is just a kid. We are all shattered. What will Sohini do now? I can’t even imagine,” Dipak said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to Sohini Adhikari over the phone, while State Minister Arup Biswas rushed to Adhikari’s house in south Kolkata’s Baishnabghata and said the Chief Minister was making all arrangements to get the family back home as early as possible.
“One of the victims, Sri Bitan Adhikari, is from West Bengal. I had spoken to his wife over the phone. Though no words are enough to console her in this hour of grief, I have assured her that my government is taking all steps to bring back his mortal remains to his house at Kolkata,” Banerjee wrote on X late on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister posted: “All arrangements are being put up by our administration at Delhi Airport to help the family members of the victims and their onward journey to Kolkata. Flight is likely to arrive in Kolkata at 8.30 pm today. Our Resident Commissioner’s office in Delhi is in touch with the family members. I am personally overseeing and our senior officers are working hands on.
“A grim hour for all of us.
“Our victims are: Bitan Adhikari (of Baishnabghata, Kolkata), Samir Guha (Sakher Bazar, Kolkata), and Manish Ranjan (Jhalda, Purulia). No word is enough as condolence for their families, even while my heart goes out to them. We stand by the families.”
Samir Guha, too, had gone to Kashmir with his wife and daughter on a vacation on April 16. They were supposed to return on April 23. He was a Central Government employee.
