The nation is still finding it hard to come to terms with the heinous Pahalgam attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent┬аvictims. Among those killed in the attack was 27-year-old Sudeep Neupane from NepalтАФthe only foreigner in the group. What was meant to be a short family trip to тАЬheaven on earthтАЭ turned into a horrifying tragedy on April 22, 2025. His grieving family, still in shock, shared heartbreaking details of that day.
Nepali tourist, SudeepтАЩs sister, narrates the horror of the attack
On April 19, 2025, Sudeep Neupane, a 27-year-old public health graduate from Butwal, Nepal, embarked on a vacation to Kashmir with his mother, sister, and brother-in-law. In a turn of fate, they were one of the many tourist families who were enjoying the once-serene Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. Days after the brutal Pahalgam attack, SudeepтАЩs elder sister, Sushma, visibly traumatised from that fateful day, narrated the horror to the news channel. In a trembling voice and tear-filled eyes, Sushma shared:
тАЬMera bhai Hindu hone ke liye sirf un logon ne maar diya. Hum toh allah bolkar jhuk gaye, lekin mera bhai nahi jhuka. Usne chhaati pe goli khayi. Use 2 goli lagi thi. Usne bola Hindu hu, toh maar diya.тАЭ
Image: BBC Hindi
SudeepтАЩs sisterтАЩs tearful words captured the randomness and cruelty of that moment. She alleged that the attackers asked the group to state their religion. The family, taking a localтАЩs advice, bowed their heads and whispered тАЬAllah,тАЭ hoping to pass unnoticed. But Sudeep, walking a little ahead, didnтАЩt hide. In a matter of seconds, he was gunned down.┬а
What SudeepтАЩs family said about their lost son
For Reena Pandey, SudeepтАЩs mother, the pain is unspeakable. As her only son, Sudeep had become a support system for Reena after her divorce from his father, Dhruv Neupane. With her only support lost, she wants nothing except justice for her son, who refused to lie and stood up for who he was. Recalling the incident, Reena told BBC Hindi:
тАЬWe had gone there to visit, not to die. What was my son’s fault?… They heard тАШHinduтАЩ and shot him in the chestтАж If my son had said Muslim, he might have been saved. He did not say anything; he said, тАШI am a Nepali, I am a Hindu, I have not done anything wrong.тАЩ He said this again and againтАж My son did not even try to run away. He could not do anything and was shotтАж He was my only son, he was my world. Who will take responsibility for me now? Who will look after me if I fall ill? My world has been robbed!тАЭ
Image: BBC Hindi
Who was Sudeep Neupane?
SudeepтАЩs death is not just a personal tragedy but a huge loss for his community. As a public health graduate, he worked actively on rural oral health programs, walking from village to village in Rupandehi with a clipboard in hand. SudeepтАЩs neighbour recalled how excited he was about visiting Kashmir, looking forward to a well-deserved break. Sudeep was the only foreign national among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack. His bullet-riddled body was kept at his home in Butwal for a few hours before being taken 70 km away for cremation.
Now, SudeepтАЩs grieving family urges the Indian government to honour him as a martyr, recognising that he was not just killed, but died for courageously standing up for his identity.
Watch the video here.
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