Businessman from Karnataka's Shivamogga killed in Pahalgam militant attack, wife says men in regular clothes fired at him

Indian Express

22-04-2025

A businessman from the Shivamogga region of Karnataka was suspected to be among those killed in a militant attack near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam Tuesday. At least 20 tourists were killed and 10 others injured in the militant attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam.
Manjunath Rao, aged around 45, his wife Pallavi Rao, and their 18-year-old son had reached a region popularly called 'Mini Switzerland' by tourists when the firing occurred, Pallavi told a relative, Deepa, in Shivamogga, in a phone call after the attack.
Pallavi told her relative that her husband died of a single shot fired at him by a man in regular clothes as soon as they stepped off a tourist bus and entered the meadowland. She said the men in the tourist group were the primary targets of the shooting by the militants.
Pallavi also spoke to the Shivamogga Lok Sabha MP B Y Raghavendra for help in taking back her husband's body to Shivamogga from Pahalgam. She said local authorities had not handed her the body.
'Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Manjunath Rao, a respected industrialist from Shivamogga, and other innocent lives in the cowardly terror attack at Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. My heartfelt condolences to their families, and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured,' Karnataka state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra, the Shivamogga MLA and brother of Raghavendra, posted on X.
Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Manjunath Rao, a respected industrialist from Shivamogga, and other innocent lives in the cowardly terror attack at Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. My heartfelt condolences to their families, and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.
As… pic.twitter.com/CiZD4um33L
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) April 22, 2025
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Pallavi, who works at the Malnad Arecanaut Cooperative (MARCO), told the relative in Shivamogga that she initially thought the gunshots were from some kind of army firing. However, when she turned to look, she realised that her husband had beenshot at.
She said several others in the touring group, including herself and her son, were taken to safety by their local driver and other locals.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah condemned the attack and said, 'Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident.'
I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, J&K. Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident.
Upon receiving the news, I convened an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and senior police officials. I have…
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 22, 2025
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'Following my directions, two teams — one of senior officers and another of police personnel — have been dispatched to J&K. An adventure team from the Sports Department, led by Commissioner Chethan, is also en route,' Siddaramaiah posted on social media.
Immediately following the militant attack in Pahalgam, a police team, along with Army and paramilitary forces, rushed to the scene to evacuate the tourists and initiated a search operation for the militants.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and held a phone conversation with Home Minister Amit Shah, who was leaving for Srinagar.