The mortal remains of Shubham Dwivedi, 31, a cement trader and globetrotter who was the first victim of the attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, were consigned to flames at Dyori Ghat in Kanpur on Thursday.

Shubham was in Kashmir with his newlywed wife Aishanya and 10 other family members. While their other companions decided to stay back at the hotel in Pahalgam, the couple went out for sightseeing.

Aishanya, who reached home at Raghuvirpur village in Kanpur's Hathipur on Wednesday night, told reporters on Thursday morning that Shubham was the first victim of the militants.

"He was riding a pony. They (the militants) came and asked something. I turned back, laughed and asked them what was going on. Then they fired at him. It took us (the people around) many minutes to understand what was happening," she said.

Sanjay Dwivedi, Shubham's father who flew to Kashmir to bring back the body, said: "There was no security anywhere in Pahalgam at the time of the attack on the tourists."

Shubham, an MBA from a Kanpur college, had joined his father's cement business a few years ago. He and Aishanya were married on January 12.

Manoj Dwivedi, Shubham's uncle, told reporters that his nephew was fond of travelling. "He had visited 15 countries in the last few years. Whenever free, he would set out on a journey. He also took me to many places," Manoj said.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath met Shubham's family at their home in Raghuvirpur and later told a news conference, which was converted into a public meeting: "The terrorists must be punished for showing brutality towards our Hindu mothers and sisters. Remember, there is a double-engine government and it has zero tolerance towards terrorism. We are not like those governments, that pardon terrorists and withdraw cases against them."