What was meant to be a joyful escape into the scenic serenity of Kashmir turned into an unspeakable tragedy for the Adhikary family. Bitan Adhikary, a 40-year-old software engineer based in Florida, was shot dead in front of his wife and son in a gruesome terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley.
It was a sunny afternoon in the picturesque meadow, often dubbed ‘Mini Switzerland,’ when gunmen confronted the family. Bitan was asked whether he was a Hindu or a Muslim. When he remained silent, they demanded he recite the Islamic Kalma. He couldn’t. As soon as he admitted he was Hindu, a bullet tore through him.
The family had arrived in Kashmir on April 16, excited for an eight-day vacation after Bitan flew in from the United States to celebrate Bengali New Year with loved ones in Kolkata. Working for an Indian IT giant in Brandon, Florida, Bitan had built a quiet, fulfilling life abroad. Returning home was always special, and this time, he wanted to show his young son the snow-capped landscapes of Kashmir.
But their holiday was cut brutally short by the same violence the valley has long struggled to escape. Bitan’s body was flown to Delhi on Wednesday morning after a post-mortem in Srinagar. Sohini and their son accompanied the coffin, arriving in Kolkata later that evening. Grieving family members received them at the airport, shattered and silent.
At their residence in Sakherbazar, Bitan’s elderly parents — Bireshwar (87) and Maya (75) waited with hollow eyes and trembling hands. Recently recovering from cataract surgeries organized by their son, the couple was unaware they were seeing him for the last time just days earlier. Maya, fitted with a pacemaker, had been counting down the days to see vacation pictures. Instead, she now clutches the last photo they took together.
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