‘I thought the terrorist left my husband until my clothes soaked with his blood’: Andhra woman shares chilling story on Pahalgam attack

Kavali: “I realised my husband had died only when my dress was soaked in blood,” recounted Kamakshi Prasanna, wife of Somisetty Madhusudhan Rao, a native of Kavali and one of the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 26 tourists lost their lives after unidentified gunmen opened fire on civilians in Baisaran, Pahalgam. Among them were two from Andhra Pradesh, including Madhusudhan Rao, a senior architect based in Bengaluru. His parents, Kripalu and Padmavathi, still reside in Kavali. His father runs a fruit business.

Misled by a stranger

After his daughter’s examinations got over, Madhusudhan Rao went on a vacation to Kashmir with his wife Kamakshi, daughter Medha Shree, son Mukund Sreedatta and three other families. Recalling the horrific day of April 22, Kamakshi shared that they had gone on a pony ride in Pahalgam and had just finished lunch slightly earlier than the others. The couple wandered off to admire the scenic views when the gunfire began.

“We heard gunshots and panicked,” Kamakshi said. “As we were about to flee, a man selling shawls—possibly a terrorist in disguise—misled us, saying it was just part of Kashmiri annual celebrations and there was no need to worry.”

Holding her husband’s hand, Kamakshi stayed close, while their children and other friends who were far away were urged by a hotel owner to run. Soon, the gunmen opened fire on the crowd. “One person begged for mercy while clutching their two-year-old child,” Kamakshi said tearfully. “My husband told me to crouch and hold his hand. I heard footsteps and a close-range gunshot, but thought the attackers shot somewhere else. I only understood he had been hit when I felt the blood soaking my clothes.”

“Go tell Modi!”

“I knew I could be killed if I ran,” she said. “But I ran anyway, covered in blood, looking for help to save my husband. Eventually, the army took me to a relief camp.”

Before the shooting, both she and her husband overheard the attackers shouting, “Hindu hai? Muslim hai?” Kamakshi also saw tourists pleading for their lives, some grabbing the attackers’ feet, but the terrorists shouted back, “Go tell Modi!”

Returning home with her husband’s body, Kamakshi was overwhelmed by grief at the airport. “So many families were broken. Some children had lost their parents, not even knowing it yet,” she said. “We believed things had become safer under Modi’s government, but now I know—nothing can undo my loss.”

On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan visited the grieving family and paid tribute to Madhusudhan Rao, offering condolences and support.

The brutal attack took place as US vice president JD Vance began a four-day visit to India and prime minister Narendra Modi travelled to Saudi Arabia to enhance bilateral ties with the influential Islamic nation.