She wore same blood-soaked clothes to father’s funeral: The story of another loss in Pahalgam

Wearing the same blood-soaked clothes from the day of the Pahalgam terror attack, a 26-year-old woman led her father’s funeral procession on Thursday.

For Asavari Jagdale, what started as a peaceful holiday in the scenic valleys of Kashmir turned into a horrific experience. Her father, Santosh Jagdale, and her uncle, Kaustubh Ganbote, were shot dead in the attack.

At least 26 people died and many others were injured when terrorists opened fire in a meadow near Pahalgam town in Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Tuesday.

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The attack has shocked the country and led to strong condemnation from across the world.

In this report, we take a look at Asavari Jagdale’s heartbreaking story and what happened to the men in her family on the day of the attack.

The heartbreaking tale of Asavari Jagdale

Dressed in the same blood-stained clothes she wore on the day of the Pahalgam terror attack, Asavari, daughter of Pune resident Santosh Jagdale, led her father’s funeral procession on Thursday.

Her appearance became a powerful reminder of the violence that took his life and left the city shaken.

In the middle of the chaos on Tuesday, Asavari showed great strength. She provided support to her mother and Ganbote’s wife, Sangita, both at the scene of the attack and later at the hospital.

The bodies of Santosh and Kaustubh were flown back to Pune on Thursday. Their last rites were held later in the day at Vaikunth Electric Crematorium in Navi Peth, where many people gathered to pay their respects.

Anger and sorrow ran deep. Many mourners shouted slogans against Pakistan as grief and fury filled the air.

According to Hindustan Times, Ganbote ran a snacks stall, while Jagdale pursued interior design. Their sudden and brutal deaths have left their families and the city heartbroken.

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How Asavari’s father and uncle were killed

“They were not humans. They were demons,” she told PTI.

Recalling the incident, she said, “While we were busy doing photoshoots at the point called Mini Switzerland in Baisaran Valley, we suddenly heard gunshots. We asked some locals about it, and they claimed that locals open fire to scare away tigers. However, the horror of the moment dawned on us as we saw people getting shot, while others were reciting the kalma. We knew this was different.”

The group quickly ran to a nearby tent for safety. She explained that the terrorists first approached the tent where they were hiding and began shooting. One of the terrorists, a young man in his early 20s, ordered her father to stand up.

“They said ‘Chaudhari tu bahar aa ja’,” Asavari recalled.

“My father urged him not to harm them. He coldly said he would show us how to kill and sprayed three bullets, one of which hit my father on the head, another going through the ear, and the third getting lodged in his chest,” she said.

Her uncle, Kaustubh Ganbote, was shot in the back of the head, with the bullet piercing his eye. Other men were also shot dead, she said, recalling how the joy of people on vacation at a tourist destination turned into an unforgettable nightmare.

Asavari said that the terrorists had asked people to recite the ‘kalma’ (Islamic verses). “Those who could, did. Those who could not, didn’t,” she said.

Despite her father assuring them that they would comply, the terrorists shot both him and her uncle dead. “We also came to know that a man was shot in the head when he went to buy snacks for his wife and son, who were busy with a photoshoot,” she said.

“The boy asked the terrorists to kill her and her mother as well, but they walked away, saying they would not kill women and children. Amid the mayhem, I gathered courage and managed to escape with my mother and aunt. While coming down, my mother suffered leg injuries. A pony rider offered us support and hope; he gave us a pony ride to our driver,” she recalled.

She said that the people who had taken them to the spot on ponies helped them (three women, including herself and her mother) make the return journey. Later, they underwent a medical examination to check for injuries and were then moved to the Pahalgam Club.

She said she is still struggling to come to terms with the death of her father, whose pyre she lit during the day, and her uncle.

“The entire episode was horrific. The cruelty with which the terrorists killed shows they were not humans. They were demons. Humans cannot be this cruel,” she said, teary-eyed.

This attack is one of the deadliest civilian assaults in the country in nearly two decades. Security forces have begun a search operation to find those responsible.

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In response, India took several strong actions against Pakistan on Wednesday. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to immediately pause the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960.

The Integrated Check Post at Attari has also been shut down with immediate effect. Pakistani citizens will no longer be allowed to travel to India under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) visa exemption scheme.

With inputs from agencies