Dombivli residents united in grief, join Fadnavis in paying respects to three cousins killed in Pahalgam

Hundreds gather at Bhagshala Maidan in Dombivli to pay respects to three cousins killed in Pahalgam terror attack.

Bhagshala Maidan in Dombivli, on the outskirts of Mumbai, was jam-packed on Wednesday night with hundreds of people who came to pay their respects to Hemant Joshi, 48, Sanjay Lele, 47, and Atul Mone, 42 — three cousins who were killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday.

The mortal remains were brought back from Srinagar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was also present to pay tribute.

Some mourners even scaled walls to catch a glimpse. The photos of the three victims were displayed on Karve Road, which was barricaded to prevent the entry of vehicles, and on banners put up at the entrance to the ground. Inside, a stage was set up against the backdrop of their pictures in black and white. A few metres away from the stage, a space was created for people to pay respects and offer floral tributes.

The residents of Dombivli, filled with anger and grief over the brutal killings, said the three cousins had been planning the trip to Srinagar for a long time. On April 20, they had boarded a train to Ahmedabad and from there flew to Srinagar with their wives and children.

Ravi Kumar, who has known Joshi since he moved into the same apartment complex in 2012, said, “I live with my family on the second floor, and Hemant lived on the fourth floor. We heard that he was asked whether he was a Hindu or not, and when he said yes, he was shot. This is so distressing.”

Joshi’s colleagues from the Belapur and Andheri branches of a shipping logistics company stood outside the building, waiting to pay their respects. One of them, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We are in disbelief. He was a lively person and we worked together for over 13 years. We were like family. He had told us last week about the trip and how excited he was. The government must take action against terrorism so that this is never repeated.”

Bhupendra Velankar, an artist in the film industry, who grew up with Lele, who worked as an accountant, stood with a plastic bag of flowers and garlands. “We live across the road. We have grown up in this locality together. We used to go to school together. We have seen different phases of life, got our jobs, and got married around the same time. We have shared so much together, but never in my wildest dreams did I think he would die this way. His 20-year-old son had accompanied him on the trip. I learned about his death in our school group.”