41-Year-Old Odisha Man On Family Vacation Killed In J&K Shooting; Another Injured

Bhubaneswar: A man from Odisha’s Balasore district lost his life in the terror attack at Pahalgam on Tuesday, which claimed at least 27 lives. The deceased has been identified as Prasant Kumar Satpathy, 41, a resident of Ishani village under Remuna block. An accountant with the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET), he had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir on April 19 with his wife, Priyadarshini Satpathy, and their nine-year-old son for a family vacation.

Recounting the horrifying incident, Priyadarshini told a news channel that Prasant was shot in the head just after completing a zipline ride in Baisaran valley, a scenic meadow in Pahalgam, and collapsed immediately.

A relative later confirmed receiving a call from Priyadarshini, informing them that the Army had taken custody of Prasant’s body for post-mortem.

Another tourist from Odisha, Shashi Kumari, 65, was also injured in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment along with other victims at various hospitals.

Odisha CM Mohan Majhi’s Tweet

In response, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi has directed the state’s Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to coordinate the transportation of Prasant’s mortal remains back to his hometown. He strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.

“Violence has no place in our society. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Odisha stands united with the victims and their families in this tragic hour,” the Chief Minister posted on X.

Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Denounces The Attack

Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik also denounced the attack, stating:

“I strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist assault on innocent tourists in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Terrorism has no place in a civilized world. My deepest condolences to the grieving families and prayers for the swift recovery of those injured.”