Bharath Bhushan, a 41-year-old resident of Mathikere in Bengaluru, was tragically shot dead in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. His wife Sujatha and their 3-year-old son, who were with him during the attack, survived.

A former software engineer, Bharath had recently left his job to manage his family’s diagnostic centre in Bengaluru. The family had travelled to Kashmir on April 18 for a vacation and were scheduled to return on April 23. According to his grieving mother-in-law Vimala, terrorists asked for their Aadhaar cards and religious identity before shooting him.

“He was holding the baby when they made him put the child down and shot him in the head,” she said, adding that the assailants continued firing at him for nearly three minutes. “They said they wouldn’t harm women and children, only the men.”

Bharath’s father, a retired DDPI officer, and his heart patient mother are devastated by the loss. The community is in shock, as friends and neighbours remember the family as peaceful and well-regarded. Many noted that the trip was undertaken because they believed the region was safe.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya confirmed coordination with authorities to ensure Sujatha and her son’s safe return, adding that two mortal remains—including Bharath’s—are being brought back to Karnataka.