Hours after witnessing her father Ramachandran’s point-blank killing before her twin children, Aarathy, shaken but strong, recounted the horror to her cousin Dr. Induchoodan, whom she called right after
Published Apr 24, 2025 | 7:40 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 24, 2025 | 7:40 PM
"I found two brothers in Kashmir": Ramachandran's daughter narrates horror of Pahalgam terror attack
Synopsis: After returning to Kochi, Aarathy shared the terrifying ordeal her family faced during their Kashmir vacation. On their visit, gunfire erupted, sending tourists fleeing. As she, her children, and father ran for safety, a gunman—unidentified and not in uniform—shot her father point-blank. Aarathy believes her children’s presence spared her life. The emotional trauma remains etched in her memory
Even as the shadows of Pahalgam’s tragedy refuse to fade, Arathy, a native of Edappally in Kochi, stands in the eye of a storm of grief, yet unshaken in voice and memory.
Hours after witnessing the unimaginable, her father Ramachandran being shot at point-blank range by terrorists, right in front of her twin children, she found the strength to recount the horror. It was her father’s cousin, Dr. Induchoodan, who first relayed her trembling words to the world, as she dialed him moments after the attack.
Today, Arathy speaks to the media herself, not merely as a survivor, but as a daughter carrying the weight of a life turned upside down.
After arriving in Kochi, Aarathy recounted the harrowing events that unfolded during their family trip to Kashmir. She and her children had been at a popular tourist spot known as Mini Switzerland, a scenic area bustling with visitors and outdoor activities like zip lining.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar noise rang out, at first, she didn’t recognise it as a gunshot. But when the sound echoed a second time, it became clear, they were in the midst of a terrorist attack.
Amid the chaos, tourists scattered in every direction, trying to escape the unfolding violence. Aarathy, accompanied by her father and children, ran into the forested terrain.
Her mother was elsewhere at the time. As they fled, a man, clearly not in military uniform, emerged and ordered the crowd to lie down. He said something, just a single word, but it was unclear. Aarathy and her father responded in Hindi, saying they didn’t understand. Without warning, the man shot her father right in front of her.
She collapsed beside him, weeping, holding onto him as her children cried for her to move. At that moment, the attacker pointed his gun at her head, but then turned away. She believes the presence of her children might have stopped him.
Realising that her father had died on the spot, Aarathy gathered herself for the sake of her children and continued moving through the mountain trails, following horse tracks without losing composure. Around 45 minutes later, her phone finally picked up a signal.
She called their driver, a local Kashmiri, who immediately informed authorities. Within minutes, the military and villagers arrived, rushing toward the area.
Earlier on Wednesday, Aarathy’s uncle, Dr Induchoodan, had told South First, quoting his phone conversation with Aarathy immediately after the attack, that “one of them (terrorists) asked Ramachandran his name and the moment he answered, he was shot point-blank in the head – his daughter and grandchildren watching in horror.”
According to Induchoodan, Arathy later recounted to him by phone how the attackers humiliated their driver, Saleem: “They demanded to verify his Muslim identity by asking him to expose himself.” Aarathy’s personal account, however, reveals the driver was not with them on the meadow.
The attack occurred atop the mountains, in a remote region. When she was asked to confirm the location, Aarathy simply said, “my father is no more.” Later that night, she was called for formal identification. She remained near the morgue until 3 am, supported throughout by her driver Zameer and another Kashmiri man Muzafir who stood by her like brothers.
“When I left yesterday, I told them I found two brothers in Kashmir,” she said with emotion.
Throughout the ordeal, she took steps to protect her mother from the trauma. She had the hotel’s television disconnected and initially told her mother that her father was injured and receiving treatment. Only after reaching Kochi did she finally break the truth to her.
Aarathy expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming support she received, from the people of Kashmir, Kerala and central governments, and especially the local community.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
