‘Blow Off Their Heads’: Widow of Pune Terror Victim Demands Ruthless Action After Pahalgam Attack

Pune, 24th April 2025: A brutal terror attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir claimed the lives of 28 innocent tourists, including six from Maharashtra. Among the deceased were two men from Pune—Kaustubh Ganbote and Santosh Jagdale. Their sudden and tragic deaths have sparked widespread grief and outrage, with survivors painting a chilling picture of the attack and demanding answers from the government.

The incident unfolded without warning, giving the victims no chance to prepare or flee. “There was no security at all,” said Pragati Jagdale, the wife of Santosh Jagdale. “Our people were lying in pools of blood. The terrorists came armed and began firing indiscriminately. They didn’t check who we were—they just shot straight in heads, eyes, and chests.”

She recalled that the attackers—six or seven in number—wreaked havoc in under thirty minutes. “They destroyed our lives in half an hour,” she said with deep sorrow and rage.

The bodies of Ganbote and Jagadale arrived at Pune Airport around 4:30 am on Thursday (24th April). They were taken to their respective homes, where citizens and local leaders gathered for their final rites. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Shars Pawar Faction) leader Sharad Pawar attended met with the grieving families, who demanded a strong and fitting response from the government. “Blow off the terrorists’ heads. Shoot them and show us their flesh,” Pragati urged, emotionally charged.

Kaustubh Ganbote’s family also shared horrifying details. His wife recounted how the terrorists asked them if they could recite the Azaan. In desperation, the women began chanting loudly—“Allahu Akbar.” Despite this, the terrorists gunned down their loved ones. One Muslim horseman who tried to help them was also stripped and shot in cold blood. “That man was trying to save us. He was Muslim. Yet they made him strip and shot him too,” she said.

She added, “Even though the army eventually helped us, it was too late. By then, they had already left. They shot people in front of us. We tried to show we meant no harm, but they still killed our men.”

The families described how they fled the scene barefoot, their feet sinking into knee-deep mud. “We were terrified even on horseback. Our Muslim horsemen came back for us. They were good people,” she said. “One of them asked the terrorists why they were killing innocent people. He was shot as well.”

The attack has ignited anger across Maharashtra, with citizens voicing frustration over the lack of security in such a sensitive region, especially during peak tourist season. Social media has erupted with criticism directed at the central government and defense authorities for failing to protect ordinary citizens.

Experts have also slammed the administration, calling the absence of protective measures in such volatile zones “alarming.” Both the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs are now facing mounting pressure to answer for the failure and take decisive action.