'Pahalgam was completely peaceful, security personnel were present everywhere'; Kerala High Court judges shocked by terrorist attack

KOCHI: Just hours after experiencing the breathtaking beauty of Pahalgam, judges from the Kerala High Court found it hard to believe the news of a terrorist attack that shook the same location. The three judges, who had visited Pahalgam with their families on Monday, were back in Srinagar when they learned of the incident.

“Pahalgam was completely peaceful on Monday. Only the weather posed minor issues. We left on Tuesday morning, and it was in the afternoon that we heard about the terrorist attack. It was shocking and unbelievable,” said Justice P.G. Ajith Kumar, speaking to the media from a secure location in Srinagar.

“Despite the crowd, the atmosphere in Pahalgam was calm and serene. Security personnel were present everywhere. It's unbelievable how everything changed in an instant,” Justice Ajith Kumar added.

Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice G. Girish had also accompanied him on the trip, which began on April 17 along with their families. They stayed at a government guest house. On Tuesday morning, they returned to Srinagar and only later in the afternoon came to know about the attack.

They also witnessed a disturbing scene — someone arriving from Pahalgam had torn clothes and was visibly terrified. "His clothes were ripped due to the chaos there. It was painful to see. He was extremely frightened," said Justice Ajith Kumar.

He noted that Srinagar remained calm on Tuesday. Pahalgam is around 100 kilometres away from Srinagar, and the group had travelled back by car. They are scheduled to return home by Wednesday afternoon.

One of the deceased was a Navy officer working in Kochi

Among those killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack was Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal (26), a native of Haryana who was posted in Kochi. According to the Navy, he had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir with his wife for their honeymoon, just after getting married on April 16.