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Hans India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Gujarat CM attends last rites of Pahalgam terror attack victims
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday attended the last rites of a man and son duo who were killed in the terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam. The mortal remains of the father and son duo from Bhavnagar were brought back to their hometown late Wednesday night. The deceased, Yatish Parmar and his son Smit Parmar, were part of a 20-member group from Bhavnagar who had travelled to Kashmir to attend a religious discourse by Morari Bapu. The group had gone for sightseeing in Pahalgam when the attack occurred on April 22. Smit's mother, Kajal Parmar, broke down in heart-wrenching grief upon seeing the bodies of her husband and son. Their remains were first flown from Kashmir to Mumbai, then to Ahmedabad, and finally brought to Bhavnagar late at night. Chief Minister Patel, Union Minister of State Nimuben Bambhaniya, Bhavnagar MLA Jitubhai Vaghani, Mayor Bharatbhai Barad, Municipal Chairman Rajubhai Rabadiya, District Collector Dr. Manish Bansal, and several local corporators and officials were present during the last rites of the man-son duo. The terror attack in Pahalgam left one more Bhavnagar resident injured - Vinubhai Dabhi - who sustained a bullet wound in his right arm and is currently undergoing treatment in Kashmir. The bullet reportedly grazed through his arm without causing major structural damage. Chief Minister Patel has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured tourist from the state. Meanwhile, spiritual leader and Ram Katha exponent Morari Bapu has temporarily suspended his ongoing Ram Katha sessions in Srinagar due to the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement was made via an official post by the Shree Chitrakutdham Trust on X, stating: "Ram Katha 955, being held in Srinagar, has been postponed after the 5th day until further notice due to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir. All those who attended the Katha are safe and well. The decision to postpone has been made purely in the interest of everyone's safety and well-being. The remaining four days of the Katha will resume when conditions permit."
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Indian Express
Among Gujarat's dead, father-son duo who went to Kashmir for Ram Katha, SBI manager on family holiday
On April 19, Bhavnagar resident Yatish Sudhir Parmar's seven-member family left for Srinagar to attend a Ram Katha by spiritual leader Morari Bapu. The group was set to return to Gujarat in a few days but the Pahalgam terror attack on Tuesday brought their trip to the Valley to a tragic end as Yatish and his 17-year-old son Smit were among the 26 people killed in the incident. Around 9pm on Wednesday night, the mortal remains of the two deceased arrived at Ahmedabad Airport from where they were taken to Bhavnagar by road in two ambulances. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, too, reached Bhavnagar Wednesday night. Yatish and Smit are among the three tourists from the state who were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, the Gujarat State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) confirmed on Wednesday. While Yatish, 45, a resident of Waghawadi Road in Bhavnagar city, owned a salon and a restaurant, Smit was a Class 11 student at Vidyadhish School. The Parmars – Yatish, his wife and son – hail from Palitana and have been staying in Bhavnagar for 20 years. They had gone to Jammu and Kashmir to attend Morari Bapu's Katha at Sher-i Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar from April 19 to 27. The Parmars, along with four family members from his wife's side, left for Srinagar on April 19. 'They went to Pahalgam on Tuesday on an excursion, to capture some good photo memories. The elder son, who works in a laboratory in Bhavnagar, did not accompany them due to his job. Yatish's wife is on her way back to Gujarat. The entire family is in shock at the moment and waiting for everyone to be back home safe,' Bharat, Yatish's cousin, told The Indian Express. Following the attack, Morari Bapu, who announced Rs 5 lakh to the families of deceased from Gujarat, has postponed his katha. 'Ram Katha 955, which is held in Srinagar, has been postponed after the 5th day until further notice due to the current situation in Jammu & Kashmir. Those who have attended the katha are safe and well and the reason for postponing is for everyone's safety and well being. The remaining four days of the Katha will resume when possible,' the announcement issued by Bapu's Shree Chitrakutdham Trust Wednesday stated. The third deceased from Gujarat is Shailesh Himmat Kalthiya from Surat. Kalthiya, who worked with the State Bank of India in Mumbai, was on a holiday with his wife and children when the attack took place. Two tourists from the state were injured in the attack. While Dabhi Vinodbhai, who sustained a firearm injury, is currently admitted at a Pahalgam hospital, Vinubhai Parmar, who suffered a splinter injury to his right upper arm, has been referred to Government Medical College, Anantnag. Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said arrangements were being made by the state government to bring the bodies of the three deceased back to Gujarat. He further said, 'I am sure the government will find out the cowards who opened fire at the tourists based on their religion. All tourists who have lost their lives, their families (will) get justice for sure.' According to sources, around 20-25 tourists from Gujarat, who had gone to Pahalgam for sightseeing, are returning to the state from Jammu and Kashmir.
