Special Correspondent
Pune : She saw her father being shot right before her eyes. The blood stains on her clothes from that horrifying moment were still fresh. And it was in those same clothes that Asavari, daughter of Santosh Jagdale, lit her father’s funeral pyre — leaving everyone around her stunned and speechless.
This heart-wrenching scene unfolded in Pune after the mortal remains of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote were brought back home. Both were childhood friends and tragically lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday, where 28 Indian tourists were gunned down by terrorists.
Jagdale and Ganbote had been inseparable since they were young. They went on this vacation to Kashmir together, accompanied by their families. Both were killed in the same brutal attack. Their bodies arrived in Pune early Thursday morning, and final rites were held later in the day.
Santosh Jagdale was shot in front of his wife and daughter. Asavari, who stood helpless as the terror unfolded, has been left deeply traumatized. With her father gone, the protective presence over her head vanished in a moment of unimaginable cruelty.
“She lit the pyre wearing the same clothes stained with her father’s blood,” said one of the mourners. “Everyone present was overwhelmed with emotion.”
From early morning, a large number of relatives and friends gathered at the Jagdale residence in Karvenagar to bid farewell. The grief was palpable, especially among Santosh’s old friends, many of whom broke down while recalling their memories with him.
Asavari, her mother Pragati Jagdale, her uncle Kaustubh Ganbote, and aunt Sangeeta Ganbote had gone to Kashmir together to enjoy a holiday. But what was supposed to be a peaceful vacation ended in a terror-filled nightmare. Both Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote were shot dead by terrorists in cold blood.
While the Jagdales lived in Pune’s Karvenagar, the Ganbotes resided in Rasta Peth. The double tragedy has left both families devastated — especially Asavari, who has lost both her father and her uncle. “A mountain of grief has fallen on the family,” a relative said.
