15-year-old boys among the attackers, says Pahalgam victim’s son

After his father Sushil Nathaniel’s last rites in Indore, son Austen says the gunmen even pulled down pants of victims to confirm their religious identity before shooting them

Family members and relatives mourn during the funeral of Sushil Nathaniel, who was killed in Pahalgam terrorist attack, at his residence in Indore, on April 24, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI

Boys around 15 years old with cameras mounted over their heads and clicking selfies were among the attackers, says Austen Nathaniel as he deals with the trauma of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed his father, Sushil Nathaniel.

Sushil, 58, a resident of Indore and a Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) employee, was among the 26 civilians shot dead by terrorists at Baisaran valley in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. His son Austen, 27, daughter Akanksha, 32, and wife Jennifer, 54, who survived the tragedy came back to Indore on Wednesday night.

Mr. Austen, who spoke to The Hindu after his father’s last rites on Thursday, says two boys around 15 years of age and carrying guns had approached his parents. 

“I was a little behind and my parents were going to use the washroom when those boys approached them and asked my dad to recite Kalma. When he said he was an Isai (Christian), they yelled saying ‘what Isai! Falisteen, Failsteen’ and shot him,” he says, adding that his father had pushed Ms. Jennifer aside to safety. 

“When she regained consciousness and saw my father lying dead, she ran screaming ‘what is Kalma? they shot him’,” he recalls, saying that her sister who was also at a distance ran towards Ms. Jennifer and injured her leg in a fall. 

Ms. Akanksha, who attended her father’s last rites on a wheelchair, is currently in a hospital in Mumbai for a surgery for fracture.   

Mr. Austen, who took shade near a food joint along with about 15 others, says the gunmen, who emerged from the surrounding woods, shot at least six people in front of his eyes. 

“They kept asking everyone ‘Muslim? Muslim?’. Whoever said they were Muslims and even recited Kalma, the terrorists pulled down their pants to check and shot them if they were not circumcised. They were about 15-year-old boys. There were at least four attackers,” he adds.  

“As they moved in a direction, we escaped from behind that food joint and reached an army check post to seek help,” he adds. 

Large gathering

Sushil was buried at a cemetery in Indore, with a large local gathering and leaders like Madhya Pradesh Government Minister Tulsi Ram Silawat and Congress chief Jitu Patwari attending his last rites. 

With his mother still in trauma and sister in the hospital, Mr. Austen is now dealing with several visitors, that also include politicians and high-profile people, as well as scores of media persons outside their home in Indore’s Veena Nagar. 

“Everyone is offering their sympathies, asking how we are doing. How would we be doing witnessing what we did in front of our eyes. But what can we do? We are fighting,” he says, with a low, hushed voice. 

Published - April 24, 2025 09:22 pm IST