'Jai Hind': Wife of slain Navy officer Vinay Narwal bids tearful adieu, embraces 'tricolour' wrapped coffin

NEW DELHI: Grieving families of those killed in Tuesday’s terror attack in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam are mourning their loved ones while waiting for the return of the 28 bodies.
“Jai Hind,” said Himanshi, the wife of Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal, as she saluted and embraced his tricolour-wrapped coffin.
'Asked if he was Muslim and then shot him dead'
The couple, married on April 16, were on their honeymoon in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, when terrorists shot the officer dead in front of his wife.
"Let his soul rest in peace...We should all be proud of him in every way. And we will make him proud in every way," said Himanshi, a PhD student from Gurugram, according to PTI.

Narwal's remains arrived at Delhi's IGI airport from Kashmir on Wednesday afternoon, before being transported to his hometown Karnal, Haryana, where military funeral rites were conducted.
Navy personnel rendered a gun salute as the remains were cremated. The Narwal household, which recently hosted wedding festivities, now stands in sorrow following the Pahalgam incident.
"I was eating bhel puri and my husband was also here. A person came and asked if he was Muslim and when he denied, the man shot him dead," Himanshi states in a widely circulated video from the Pahalgam site.
'Narwal was cheerful and deeply committed'
Fellow officers remember Narwal for his positive disposition and professional dedication. "Lt Narwal was always cheerful and deeply committed to his duties," noted a Navy officer.
Neighbour Naresh Bansal said, "After the marriage, everyone was celebrating and was in a happy mood. And now suddenly this sad news comes."

'Shooting happened right in front of her eyes'
While, two other families from Karnataka were left heartbroken by the attack. Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru was shot dead by terrorists while visiting Pahalgam with his wife and three-year-old son.
His wife, Sujatha, and their child survived. "My daughter called me a short while ago. She said she is safe at an army camp and will go to the hospital to claim her husband's body once her brother reaches Pahalgam. She told me the shooting happened right in front of her," Vimla told PTI.
Sujatha's mother and Mattikere resident, confirmed that Bharath was killed while his family watched. Sujatha collected her husband's identification documents before escaping with their child.
'This was their first holiday'
In Shivamogga, Manjunath Rao's sister Roopa revealed this was their first holiday outside Karnataka. She learnt about her brother's hospitalisation through a friend's call at 4.30 pm.
"But we came to know of his death through the news," she said.
Roopa, holidaying in Thirthahalli, said her brother travelled to Pahalgam with his family. "This was their first trip to Kashmir. They had holidays, so they went. They had called their mother to say they were safe and would return on April 24. It's been a week since we last spoke," she said.
'Couple got married on February 12 this year'
Shubham Dwivedi from Kanpur, recently married, was amongst the casualties. He wed on February 12, 2025.
"Shubham Bhaiya got married on February 12 this year. He was in Pahalgam with his wife. My sister-in-law called my uncle and told him that Shubham was shot in the head. It is also reported that the firing began after the individuals were asked for their names... We have received information that the body will be released after 2-3 days after completing all the procedures," his cousin Saurabh Dwivedi told ANI.
Grieving families from West Bengal demand 'terrorist to be killed on spot'
Families of Guha from Behala and Bitan Adhikari from Baishnabghata await their remains. They were amongst 28 victims at Baisaran meadow. West Bengal ministers visited their residences, with Firhad Hakim announcing the bodies' return to Kolkata on Wednesday.
Neeraj Udhwani from Jaipur perished in the attack whilst holidaying with his wife, who survived.
His uncle Bhagwan Das told ANI, "He died in the terrorist attack. His wife was also there; she is safe. They had gone there for a holiday... We demand from the government that the accused be killed. I say that the terrorist, irrespective of religion or caste, should be killed on the spot."
'Three tourists from Gujarat were among the 28'
Three tourists from Gujarat were among the 28 casualties in the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, with their remains expected to arrive in their home state by Wednesday evening, according to official sources.
The deceased include Shailesh Kalathiya from Surat, along with Yatish Parmar and his son Smit from Bhavnagar. Two additional tourists from Gujarat sustained injuries in the incident. According to Sanghavi, the assailants targeted the tourists after enquiring about their religious affiliation.
The Bhavnagar father-son pair were part of a group of 19 individuals who travelled to Kashmir on April 16 to attend religious preacher Morari Bapu's discourse in Srinagar, as per PTI sources.
The attack has caused widespread distress amongst the victims' families and triggered national outrage, with increasing demands for immediate justice and enhanced anti-terror operations.
Subsequently, Union home minister Amit Shah visited the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag to meet the survivors of the Pahalgam terror attack. He also paid his last respects to the deceased, stating that, "The culprits of this dastardly terror attack will not be spared."