UAE expat among victims of Pahalgam terror attack

Neeraj Udhwani, a 33-year-old resident of Jaipur in Rajasthan, was among the victims of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. 

Neeraj, who works in the UAE, had come to India on vacation. He had recently attended a wedding in Shimla and then travelled to Kashmir with his wife.

The couple had been married for two years, having tied the knot at Bhanwar Singh Palace in Pushkar.

Neeraj, who lived in Forest View Residency, Model Town (Malviya Nagar), was on vacation in Kashmir with his wife when terrorists opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley, a popular spot in Pahalgam.

While Neeraj lost his life in the attack, his wife, who was at the hotel at the time, survived unharmed. She informed the family of the tragedy.

Neeraj’s uncle, Dinesh Udhwani, said the family is in deep shock. His elder brother, Kishore Udhwani, an income tax inspector, had just arrived in Jaipur with his wife four days ago.

Neeraj’s mother, Jyoti Udhwani, is being consoled by relatives and neighbours. His father, Pradeep Udhwani, passed away a decade ago.

Tuesday’s attack left at least 26 people dead and more than 17 injured. Tourists from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, as well as individuals from Nepal and the UAE, were among the victims. Two local residents were also killed.

This is the deadliest terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir since the Pulwama attack on Feb.14, 2019, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

This is not the first time tourists from Jaipur have been targeted. On June 10, 2024, four people from the city, including a child, were killed in a terrorist attack in J&K.

On May 18, 2024, a Jaipur couple -- Farah Khan (35) and Tabrez Khan (38) -- was shot at a resort in Pahalgam’s Yaner area.

Indo-Asian News Service