New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) In one of the deadliest terror attacks to rock J&K in recent years, 40-year-old Bitan Adhikary, a tech professional from Florida, US who was visiting India with his family, was among the several people brutally killed by terrorists in Pahalgam.

Bitan had travelled to his Kolkata home with his wife Sohini and their three-year-old son on April 8 and later journeyed to Kashmir for a family vacation. They were scheduled to return on Thursday. Tragically, the holiday ended in horror.

Bitan was shot dead in the picturesque Baisaran Valley, where terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of them tourists. His wife and child survived the attack and are currently safe. Efforts are underway to bring them back home to Kolkata.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached out to Bitan’s grieving family and expressed deep sorrow.

In a post on X, she wrote: “My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the devastating terrorist attack on the tourists in Jammu and Kashmir today. One of the victims, Sri Bitan Adhikari, is from West Bengal. I have talked with his wife over 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. My deepest condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones in this inhuman act of terror.”

Bitan’s father, devastated by the loss, told Anandabazar Patrika, “He wanted to take all of us along. But I told him to go with my daughter-in-law. I spoke to him in the afternoon. What happened after that…”

His brother added, “I spoke to my younger brother in the morning. He said that after returning from Kashmir, we’d plan a longer trip. We didn’t know it would be our last conversation.”

The attack also claimed the lives of two foreign nationals and has drawn strong condemnation nationwide and globally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Saudi Arabia, cut short his visit and returned immediately.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Srinagar last night and held meetings with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Security forces are currently conducting intensive search operations in the region.

–IANS

rs/rad