‘They should be shot down’: Widow of Pahalgam terror attack victim recounts ordeal, demands action

INDORE (Madhya Pradesh): The wife of Sushil Nathaniel, a 55-year-old Indore resident who was killed in the recent Pahalgam terror attack, has shared the terrifying details of the incident.

Jennifer Nathaniel recounted how her husband was shot dead by terrorists after being asked to recite the Kalma, which he refused, stating he was a Christian.

She demanded that the attackers be punished severely, saying, “They should be shot down.” She said that the punishment should fit the crime, given the brazen nature of the attack.

On April 19, Jennifer, her husband Sushil, a branch manager for LIC and their children, Akanksha and Austin, visited the scenic Pahalgam valley in Jammu and Kashmir. As they were leaving the site, Sushil went to use the washroom with Jennifer. Suddenly, they heard gunfire and saw that a man had been shot. The attackers were firing indiscriminately, and people were hiding everywhere.

Speaking to reporters, Sushil’s wife, Jennifer, recounted the incident: “I went to the site with my husband and son. As we were about to leave, my husband said he needed to use the washroom. My son was heading towards the gate while my husband and I went towards the washroom. After he finished, I asked him to move, and that’s when he heard a sound. We initially thought the ropeway had broken, but then we heard gunfire. We saw that a man had been shot, and a woman was crying nearby.”

#WATCH | Indore | Jennifer, wife of Sushil Nathaniel, says, “We were about to return from there when my husband told me he needed to use the washroom… When he came out of the washroom, suddenly a loud sound came and we thought it was of ropeway breakage but when we turned… https://t.co/4tpjGpjoXQ pic.twitter.com/wzOzeD8ZbT

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2025

After that, the terrorists started firing indiscriminately. Jennifer and her husband hid behind the washroom. The woman said there was wire fencing near the washroom, and it had a little space, from where 27-28 people managed to come out and started running.

As they tried to escape, two terrorists spotted them and started following. Sushil tried to warn their son but was surrounded by the attackers. He pushed Jennifer into the bushes, and the terrorists asked him to recite the Kalma. When Sushil refused, stating he was a Christian, they shot him.

“As we were escaping, two people who had killed the man saw us and started following us. My husband tried to shout to warn our son, but he couldn’t reach him. The attackers surrounded my husband, and he pushed me into the bushes. After that, they asked my husband to recite the Kalma. He replied that he was a Christian and didn’t know it, and that’s when they shot him,” she added.

Jennifer was rescued by security personnel, who were carrying her in a vehicle. When the driver received a call informing him of Sushil’s death, Jennifer was devastated and nearly fell out of the vehicle. In a bid to save her, her daughter Akanksha fell down and sustained injuries.

Speaking about the injury of her daughter, the woman said, “The personnel who rescued me were carrying me in a vehicle when the driver received a call informing him that my husband had been shot dead. Upon hearing this, I was completely shattered and nearly fell out of the vehicle. In that moment, my daughter tried to save me and fell down, sustaining injuries.”

Jennifer also highlighted the need for better security measures at tourist sites, questioning the lack of security presence at the incident site.
Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured, in one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. (ANI)