'Operation Sindoor is tribute to women like my mother': Son of Pune victim Kaustubh Ganbote killed in Pahalgam terror attack

Time of India

07-05-2025

NEW DELHI: Hours after India launched precision strikes targeting terrorist bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK),
Kunal Ganbote
, the son of Pune resident
Kaustubh Ganbote
who was killed in the
, called the operation a justice and said it honoured victims like his mother.
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Speaking to the media, Kunal said, 'We all were waiting for such action to be taken, and we have this hope from the Indian government. The name of the operation is 'Sindoor' and I think it was named this way to respect women like my mother.'
Kaustubh Ganbote, a well-known farsan businessman from Kondhwa and Rasta Peth, was one of the six tourists from Maharashtra killed in the April 22 attack, which claimed 26 lives, the deadliest since Pulwama.
Operation Sindoor
In the early hours of Wednesday, India carried out 'Operation Sindoor' — a tri-services operation by the Army, Navy, and Air Force — striking nine terror camps, four in Pakistan and five in PoK. The Ministry of Defence described it as a 'focused, measured and non-escalatory' response, carefully avoiding Pakistani military facilities.
Top intelligence inputs guided Indian forces to strike Jaish-e-Mohammed's base in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's headquarters in Muridke, aiming to dismantle terror infrastructure allegedly responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.
Among the six confirmed dead from Maharashtra were Kaustubh Ganbote and Santosh Jagdale (both from Pune), Dilip Desale (Panvel), and Hemant Joshi, Atul Mone, and Sanjay Lele (Kalyan-Dombivli). Several others were injured, including Subodh Patil from Panvel and members of a Nagpur-based family.
Officials confirmed that at least 39 tourists from Maharashtra were in the area during the attack. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, civil aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol, and NCP MP Supriya Sule have been in contact with the victims' families.
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Following the operation, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval briefed his US counterpart Marco Rubio. The Indian embassy in Washington released a statement citing credible evidence of Pakistan-based terrorists' involvement in the April 22 attack.
'Instead of acting on terrorists, Pakistan indulged in denial and blamed India for a false flag operation,' the embassy said.
'Justice is served'
A defence ministry spokesperson said that the coordinated strikes were a response to the killings in Pahalgam and aimed at destroying the leadership of JeM and LeT.
'Justice is served,' said a senior Army officer following the strikes.