Bitan Adhikary, a 40-year-old engineer from the city now based in Brandon, Florida, was among those slain in Tuesday afternoon’s terrorist attack at Pahalgam’s Baisaran area, known locally as “Mini Switzerland” for its scenic beauty.

Adhikary was vacationing with his wife, Sohini, and their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Hridaan, when the attack occurred.

“We were sitting on the grass at Mini Switzerland when suddenly armed men approached, asking who was Hindu and who was Muslim,” Sohini told this newspaper by phone on Tuesday night from Pahalgam Base Camp, her voice trembling.

“They didn’t give us time to move or run. They opened fire indiscriminately. My husband died on the spot,” she said.

Adhikary, who suffered a bullet wound to his shoulder, had relocated to the United States in 2019 to work for an IT company. He had arrived in Calcutta on April 8 to celebrate Bengali New Year with his family before travelling to Kashmir on April 16 for what was planned as an eight-day vacation.

“We were supposed to return this Thursday,” Sohini said.

Arrangements are being made to transport the family and Adhikary’s remains
to Srinagar, from where they were scheduled to return to Calcutta.

Adhikary’s ancestral home is at 15B Kailash Ghosh Road in Behala. For the last two years, Sohini and Hridaan have been staying at Adhikary’s cousin’s house in Baishnabghata in the southeastern part of the city. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee dispatched minister Aroop Biswas to meet with relatives there on Tuesday night.

In a statement on X, the chief minister wrote: “My heart goes out to the families of the victims of the devastating terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir today. One of the victims, Sri Bitan Adhikari, is from West Bengal. I have talked with his wife over phone. Though no words are enough to console her in this hour of grief, I have assured her that my Government is taking all steps to bring back his mortal remains to his house at Kolkata. My deepest condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones in this inhuman act of terror.”

“This act of violence is utterly reprehensible and must not go unpunished,” she added.

Minister Biswas has assured the family that all arrangements are being made to bring them safely back to Calcutta.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The tourists gathered at Baisaran were from several states. Among the dead were vacationers from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, according to initial reports.

Baisaran, about 6km from the resort town of Pahalgam, is an expansive meadow ringed by dense pine forests and mountains and is a favourite with tourists from all over. A campsite for trekkers who then move further up to the Tulian Lake, Baisaran is accessible from Pahalgam either on foot or on horseback. It offers a panoramic view
of Pahalgam town and the Lidder Valley.