TAMPA, FL (TIP): Bitan Adhikary, a U.S.-based engineer employed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), was among the 28 civilians who lost their lives in a brutal terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday afternoon. Terrorists targeted tourists relaxing at Baisaran meadow, a scenic destination near south Kashmir’s Pahalgam town.

The confirmed death toll from the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, stands at 28. This includes 24 Indian tourists, two local residents, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the United Arab Emirates. The massacre is being described as the deadliest in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.

Survivors described a terrifying sequence of events. According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the attackers interrogated their victims, asking names, before opening fire.

Adhikary, who lived in Brandon, Florida with his wife Sohini and their three-year-old son, was visiting India on a family trip. He arrived in Kolkata on April 8 to spend time with his extended family. During the vacation, the family decided to travel to Kashmir for a few days. They had reached the Valley last week and were scheduled to return home on Thursday.

Tragically, the family’s outing turned into a nightmare when terrorists stormed the meadow and opened fire on unsuspecting tourists. As per media reports, Adhikary was sitting on the grass with his wife and child when the gunfire erupted. He died on the spot. His wife and son reportedly survived the attack.

Adhikary had relocated to the United States for work and served as a Test Manager at TCS. He earned his Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from the University of Technology in West Bengal.

The Indian government has condemned the attack in the strongest terms, while the Indian diaspora and the global community have expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.