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Pahalgam witness says headgear-wearing teens were among gunmen: ‘Took selfies’
Sushil Nathaniel, a 58-year-old manager at the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur, was among those 26 killed in Baisaran
A 25-year-old man from Indore, who lost his father to the terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, said that teenage boys wearing headgear with cameras were among those who struck people on Tuesday.
Sushil Nathaniel, a 58-year-old manager at the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur, was among those 26 killed in Baisaran meadows, known as “mini-Switzerland.” He had visited the region with his family for a vacation.
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Nathaniel's son, Austin alias Goldie, said that his elder sister, Akanksha (35), was shot in the leg by the assailants. He and his mother, Jennifer (54), escaped unhurt, but the gunmen killed his father.
Explaining the attack, a grieving Austin told PTI, “The terrorists included underage boys around 15 years old. There were at least four of them. They were taking selfies during the attack and had cameras mounted on their heads.”
He also said that the terrorists asked for the religious identity of the tourists and asked them to recite the ‘kalima’ to check if they were Muslims. The youngster also claimed that the gunmen forced people to strip, even if someone recited the ‘kalima.’
“I only want a heavy deployment of police and Army personnel at that place (Baisaran) because it receives the highest number of tourists,” Austin appealed to the government.
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Nathaniel was buried at the Juna Indore Catholic Cemetery after a funeral attended by his family and close relatives. His wife, Jennifer, overwhelmed by grief, fainted repeatedly during the last rites of her husband and was supported by her son Austin and other close relatives.
His injured daughter arrived at the venue in a wheelchair. Madhya Pradesh minister Tulsiram Silawat and state Congress president Jitu Patwari were among prominent leaders who paid tributes to Sushil Nathaniel at the cemetery.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and BJP President VD Sharma visited Nathaniel's residence on Wednesday to express grief and solidarity.
“An Indore resident has died tragically (in the terrorist attack). I pray to Baba Mahakal, may his soul rest in peace. This is a cowardly act of Pakistan,” Yadav said.
