After losing her husband in the horrifying terror attack in Pahalgam, Pallavi pleaded for death — only to be told by the attacker to deliver a message to Prime Minister Modi. Her story reveals the brutal targeting of civilians in the Valley.
BY PC Burrau
Pallavi, a tourist from Karnataka’s Shivamogga district, has recounted the chilling moments when her husband, Manjunath, was shot dead in front of her during the deadly terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, claimed 26 lives and is being called one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in the Valley in recent years.
Speaking to a leading Kannada news outlet over the phone, Pallavi described the trauma of witnessing her husband’s murder and the surreal exchange she had with one of the gunmen.
“We had come to Kashmir as a family — my husband Manjunath, our 18-year-old son Abhijeya, and I — for a vacation that began on April 19. We were in Pahalgam when the shooting started. My husband had gone to get some bread for our son who hadn’t eaten all day,” Pallavi said. “Suddenly, there was gunfire. We initially thought it was the army firing. But then chaos broke out. People started running. I saw my husband lying on the ground, blood pooling around his head. He had been shot.”
ALSO READ:<
#PahalgamAttack #PahalgamTerroristAttack
This is the last video of pallavi and her husband together 💔
Her husband was killed right in front of her.
When she said “you killed my husband, k!ll me as well” they said,
“We won’t kill you, go and tell modi”
Never in the history… pic.twitter.com/kbav3MkCLN
— Jitesh (@Chaotic_mind99) April 22, 2025
/p>
In the minutes that followed, Pallavi and her son came face to face with one of the terrorists. Overcome by grief and shock, she confronted the gunman.
“I told him, ‘You killed my husband, kill me too.’ My son screamed, ‘You dog, you killed my father, kill us as well!’” she recalled.
But the terrorist, she said, responded chillingly: “Nahin marenge. Tum Modi ko jaake bolo.” (“I won’t kill you. Go and tell Modi.”)
According to Pallavi, the attackers did not wear military uniforms and appeared to be selectively targeting men, particularly those believed to be Hindus. “There were many newlywed couples, and in most cases, the husbands were shot while the wives were left unharmed. We were told by our driver that Hindus were being targeted. Three men who kept chanting ‘Bismillah’ helped us escape. There were nearly 500 tourists in the area at the time,” she said.
Describing the immediate aftermath, Pallavi said she sat next to her husband’s body, frozen and unable to cry. “I just couldn’t comprehend what had happened.”
Now, all she wants is to return to Shivamogga — but only with her husband’s body. “I will not go back alone. All three of us must return together. I request the authorities to arrange for his body to be airlifted,” she said.
The family was scheduled to return home on April 24.
A Navy officer. An IB officer. A
newlywed husband. All killed. Pallavi was spared only to "tell Modi." This wasn't just terror – it was targeted, cold-blooded murder.Hotel leaks, planned killings – and Pakistan's fingerprints all over.
Enough. This time, Pakistan must pay. In… pic.twitter.com/FizxxRR5m5
— Vikramaditya (@VikramtheGreat1) April 22, 2025
Back in Shivamogga, Manjunath’s family is devastated. His mother has not yet been informed of his death — only that he is injured and will be home soon. Manjunath was a realtor by profession, while Pallavi works as a bank manager.
