'It was his birthday today': Pahalgam attack victim Shailesh Kathaliya's body returns home on his birthday
Trending | India News | Pahalgam attack, which occurred in scenic Baisaran, is one of India's deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama bombing claiming 26 lives.
Shailesh Himmat Kathaliya, one of the victims of the horrific Pahalgam terror attack would have turned 46 on Wednesday (Apr 23), instead his family was forced to receive his remains and prepare for his funeral.
Kathaliya was one of the 26 victims of the devastating terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday (Apr 22).
Who was Shailesh Kathaliya?
Kathaliya, a State Bank of India manager posted in Andheri, Mumbai had been on vacation with his wife and children when tragedy struck.
The bank manager, as per his family was planning to return after celebrating his birthday in the Valley.
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As his grieving family gathered at his uncle's house in Mota Varachha, Surat, his cousin Kishan recalled the moment they received the news of Shailesh's death from his wife Shitalbenben.
"On Tuesday afternoon, after learning about the terror attack in Pahalgam, my elder brother Mayur called up Shailesh to find out if everything was fine. On the other side, Shailesh’s wife Shitalben picked up. She started crying, and said that Shailesh had been a victim of the terror attack," he said.
The family had to rush to Kashmir to support Shitalben and make arrangements to bring Shailesh's body back. His mortal remains were flown in by a special Air India plane late Wednesday night, with senior Gujarat ministers and local leaders paying tribute at Surat Airport.
Also read | Pahalgam Terror Attack: PM Package staff in Jammu told to work from home as CM flags harassment of Kashmiris
Speaking to ANI, his nephew Ankur Sutariya said, "Today, it was his birthday."
"We request the government to take the strictest action so that none of the families have to suffer this immense pain."
Originally from Amreli's Lathi taluka, Kathaliya had made Surat his home before moving to Mumbai due to his transferable job. The family has decided to conduct his last rites in Surat, where most of their relatives are settled.
Meanwhile, the mortal remains of other Gujarati victims, including the father-son duo Yatish and Smit Parmar, were brought to Bhavnagar.
Ex-gratia announced for victims' families
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel announced ₹5 lakh (around $5,800) ex-gratia for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 ($585) for the injured.
The terror strike in Pahalgam, carried out at the scenic Baisaran meadow, marks one of the worst attacks on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the deadliest in Kashmir post the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
