3 Kerala HC judges, families narrowly escape Pahalgam terror attack

Three Kerala High Court judges and their families escaped unhurt after leaving Pahalgam just hours before a deadly terror attack that claimed 26 lives and injured many

Three Kerala High Court judges — Anil K Narendran, G Girish, and PG Ajithkumar — along with their families, had a narrow escape from the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday.

 

The group, comprising eight members, had been vacationing in Jammu and Kashmir since April 17. They visited several locations in the region and arrived in Pahalgam on Monday, The Hindu reported.

 

After spending the day sightseeing and exploring prominent tourist attractions, they decided to depart Pahalgam just a few hours before the terror attack that claimed 26 lives and injured many others. 

 

According to Justice Narendran, the group left Pahalgam at around 9:30 am on April 22. "...I insisted on returning to Srinagar today itself to take a boat ride in Dal Lake as I had visited the area earlier, and we reached Srinagar safely,” Justice Narendran told The Hindu. 

Justice Narendran added that they encountered a hotel guest in Srinagar who had narrowly escaped the incident and was visibly shaken. Justice Ajithkumar said the group reached Srinagar around 2 pm, shortly after the attack occurred, and they were preparing to return to Kerala.

 

Pahalgam terror attack

 

The attack, which occurred at Baisaran meadow, was one of the deadliest attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike. The Resistance Front, a shadow group linked to the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his ongoing visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to India early Wednesday morning. Upon arrival at Delhi airport, he immediately chaired a high-level meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and other senior officials to review the situation and plan the government's response.   

 

  PM Modi condemned the attack as a "heinous act", assuring that "those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice".

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah travelled to Srinagar and then to the Baisaran meadow, the site of the attack. Shah paid tribute to the victims by laying wreaths and met with the families of those killed and survivors. He chaired a security review meeting in Srinagar involving all concerned agencies to coordinate the ongoing response and investigation. 

 

Security forces, including the Indian Army's Chinar Corps, launched extensive search operations in the area to track down the terrorists involved. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also deployed a team to assist local police in the probe.

 

The attack drew international condemnation, with leaders including US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressing solidarity with India and condemning the violence against civilians.