Bengaluru techie on family vacation shot dead in Pahalgam terror attack: Report

A terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has claimed the life of yet another tourist from Karnataka, taking the death toll from the state to three. The latest victim is S Madhusudhan Rao, a software engineer from East Bengaluru’s Ramamurthy Nagar, who was shot dead while sitting alone during a family trip on Sunday, reported Deccan Herald.

Also Read - Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges Kannadigas in Pahalgam to remain calm, assures swift government support

According to report, Rao had moved to Bengaluru three years ago from Kavali town in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. He was employed with IBM and had been holidaying in Kashmir with his wife, son, and daughter, along with three other families. His family had briefly stepped away to collect food when the attackers struck. While they survived the incident, Rao succumbed to the gunfire.

Tragically, Rao is the third person from Karnataka to lose his life in the region in recent days. Among the other victims were Bharath Bhushan, a resident of Mattikere in Bengaluru, and Manjunath Rao, a realtor from Shivamogga.

Bhushan had been vacationing with his wife Sujatha and their three-year-old son when he was fatally shot at close range. His wife and child survived the attack. In a separate but similarly horrifying incident, Manjunath Rao was also killed while travelling in the area with his family. Details of the circumstances surrounding his death remain limited.

Also Read - 'Fear losing my job': Biker releases video after road rage clash in Bengaluru with IAF officer

Police sources said a team visited Madhusudhan Rao’s residence in Ramamurthy Nagar but found it locked. Authorities have arranged to fly his body to Chennai, after which it will be handed over to his family in Andhra Pradesh.

The series of killings has cast a dark shadow over the region’s growing tourism industry and has reignited concerns about the safety of civilians visiting conflict-prone areas in Kashmir.