07-05-2025
Operation Sindoor: ‘Grateful' says wife of Odisha accountant killed in Pahalgam
Bhubaneswar: Priyadarshini Satpathy, the wife of the Odisha accountant who was killed in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and who managed to escape with their nine-year-oldson, said she is grateful to the Indian government and the Army for Operation Sindoor. Prasanta Kumar Satpathy had travelled to Kashmir with his wife Priyadarshini and their 9-year-old son Tanuj
'They took my husband on a Tuesday. We hit back on a Tuesday. You killed us by asking about our religion, we attacked you by saying our religion. My husband is gone. He won't come back. I hope our actions will prevent similar incidents. Terrorism has no place in the world,' she said.
Prasanta Kumar Satpathy (43), an accounts assistant at the Skill Development Centre of the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in Balasore, had travelled to Kashmir with his wife Priyadarshini and their Tanuj on April 19. Pahalgam was their final stop before their scheduled return to Bhubaneswar on April 23.
Also Read: Why was India's strikes on Pakistan, PoK named 'Operation Sindoor'?
Expressing happiness over Indian armed force's strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday, she said: 'I wondered when the government would act against the terrorists, but I was sure the government would do the right thing. I am very happy today.'
Pryadarshini recounted saying they had arrived at Pahalgam by noon and kept the luggages in the vehicle before riding to Baisaran valley on horseback. The family vacation for the Satpathys turned into a tragedy on April 22, moments after they had completed a zipline ride in Pahalgam.
Just hours before the terrorist attack, Prasanta had shared videos and photos of their holiday on social media.
Also Read:Pahalgam terror attack: Odisha accountant shot dead; wife, son safe
'We were supposed to head back to our hotel and then travel to Delhi the next day. At 2.30 pm, I and my son had just finished a zipline ride and my husband was taking off his helmet after he finished his zipline ride. My son and I stood a little away, calling out to him to hurry because the pony handler was getting impatient. That's when everything changed. I heard loud bangs like balloons popping. Then I saw a man in fatigues standing behind my husband, a camera on his cap. My husband turned slightly to the left, and in that split second, the terrorist fired. The bullet tore through his temple. He collapsed instantly, blood pooling around him. Gunshots echoed all around, screams piercing the air. A little away, I saw something horrific—a man lying beheaded, his head splattered on the ground. It was a nightmare,' she said.
Also Read: Pakistan airspace cleared after India's Operation Sindoor targets 9 terror sites
Pryadarshini added, 'I rushed to my husband, my clothes soaking in his blood. 'Do you need water?' I asked, desperate to do something, anything. He gasped, 'Call for help.' I tried to lift him, but could not and I was shaking. My son ran, shouting for help, but no one came. Tourists were fleeing, while some were frozen in fear. A few feet away, I saw a woman with her husband dead at her feet, pleading a terrorist to kill her too. The gunmen mocked her, saying, 'Modi ko bolo'. They were asking people their names, demanding some recite the Kalma, others to undress and show their private parts before shooting them dead. I'll never forget the meadow, the gunshots, the blood, or the terrorists' cold eyes.'
