“As per latest updated information made available to us, 3 persons from our State have died in the most unfortunate Kashmir violence. All arrangements are being put up by our administration at Delhi Airport to help the family members of the victims and their onward journey to Kolkata. Flight is likely to arrive in Kolkata at 8.30 pm today. Our Resident Commissioner’s office in Delhi is in touch with the family members,” West Bengal Chief Minister said in her X Handle post.
“I am personally overseeing and our senior officers are working hands on. A grim hour for all of us. Our victims are: Bitan Adhikari (of Baishnabghata, Kolkata), Samir Guha (Sakher Bazar, Kolkata), and Manish Ranjan (Jhalda, Purulia). No word is enough as condolence for their families, even while my heart goes out to them. We stand by the families,” .
Bitan Adhikari, a software professional residing in United States of America’s Florida, went on a family trip with his wife and 3.5 years child to Kashmir. Samir Guha and Manish Ranjan were central government employees.
Bitan who hailed of South Kolkata’s Patuli, worked lived in Florida. Adhikari was in India with his family.
They arrived in Kolkata on April 8 and left for Kashmir on April 16. The family had planned to return to Kolkata next week. Bitan’s mother Maya Adhikari said: “I saw him in Television and saw my son’s picture. I could not tolerate it anymore. We never imagined I would have to see this day. I am in deep anguish.”“What will I tell the little child about his father’s death,” Bitan’s cousin brother rued.Last night, West Bengal Chief Minister, who is personally overseeing the matter, had spoken to Bitan’s wife Sohini Adhikari in Kashmir and had sent state minister Aroop Biswas to his house.
Another Manish Ranjan, who hails from Bengal’s Purulia district’s Jhalda. Ranjan was a central government employee and was posted in Hyderabad. He had travelled to Pahalgam with his wife, son and daughter on a holiday trip.
Junior Union Minister Sukanat Majumdar went to his residence in Jhalda. “I am keeping in touch with the Union Home Ministry. Two bodies will be brought back. The resident of Purulia Manish Ranjan Mishra’s mortal remains will be brought back in a special way as he was a central government employee of a special department. We stand with his family. This brutality cannot be accepted.”
“In the name of religion, no one can be killed in this way.. How can someone be killed after confirming This is a peculiar kind of brutality,” Majumdar said, adding everyone is saying he was such a good person.
Another victim of the terror attack Sameer Guha was a resident of Behala’s Sakher Bazar in south Kolkata. He was on a holiday in Kashmir with his wife and daughter and was scheduled to return to Kolkata on Wednesday. His wife told a local media channel that her husband was killed by the masked attacker.
