Pahalgam terror attack: Panvel electrician killed, friend injured in group tour shooting

Dilip Desale’s house

A tourist from Panvel was killed and another seriously injured in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Dilip Desale, a resident of Panvel, Sector 12. He was accompanied by 42-year-old Subodh Patil, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Srinagar. Desale's remains were flown to Mumbai on a flight and later transported to Panvel, where security was deployed by the Navi Mumbai police.

Both tourists were part of a group tour to Jammu and Kashmir organised by Nisarg Paryatan Tours, a Panvel-based travel agency. The group comprised 39 tourists - 34 from Panvel, two from Uran, and three from Thane. Desale worked as an electrician at a government firm, while Patil is a retired GST officer.

The deceased, Dilip Desale (left); Subodh Patil, who was injured

Relatives of Desale had earlier raised concerns over exorbitant airfare while trying to retrieve his body. "We have already booked tickets to travel to Kashmir and bring the body back, but return flights are showing extremely high fares," said a relative. "Since the moment we received the news, the entire family has been in shock," said another relative.

A relative, who was present at the Desale residence in Sector 12, said, "I spoke to him a few days ago, and he was planning to visit Karnataka for a religious tour after returning from Kashmir." Patil's daughter, Prachi, speaking to the media, said, "I have spoken to my mother - both of them are fine. My father has sustained some injuries, and we are praying for his safety. The whole family is terrified. We just want him back in Mumbai for further treatment."