Neighbours remember victims

Dombivli: Hemant Joshi, 44, who stayed in Dombivali (West), was among the 26 people killed in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday. His maternal cousins, Atul Mone and Sanjay Lele, who stayed in Dombivali (West), were also killed in the attack.

As the news of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam spread, the entire vicinity of Dombivli was in shock. Businessman Prithviraj Jondhale who had exchanged text messages with his neighbour Hemant Joshi at around 10 am on Tuesday was totally shaken. “I suggested that he visit the Ksheer Bhawani Mata Mandir in Kashmir. At that time, he was preparing to leave for Pahalgam. Six hours later, I was shocked to know that he was no more,” Jondhale said.

Joshi, who stayed in a fourth-floor flat at Savitri Cooperative Housing Society in the Bhagshala Maidan area, worked as a senior executive with a private cargo company in Andheri. He had recently placed his aged father at a daycare home and had gone to Kashmir with his wife Monica, an accountant, and son Dhruv, 16, who had appeared for his SSC exams. Dhruv also sustained bullet injuries on his finger.

Joshi had gone to Kashmir with his maternal cousins Atul Mone, 43, and Sanjay Lele 50, and their respective families. Jondhale, who stays on the first floor of the same building as Joshi, recalled that his neighbour was a fun-loving, calm, and composed person. “He was our society’s secretary (for the past five years) and because of his polite and understanding behaviour, our society has been very peaceful,” Jondhale said.

“Dhruv had messaged his uncle that his family was safe. So we were a little relaxed. But later, we found that Joshi was killed,” Jondhale added.

Another neighbour, Dr G N Pachpande, who lives opposite Joshi’s flat, recalled that he was a fun-loving person. “He treated me like his friend. They had told me to take care of the house as they were going to Kashmir. When I first heard the news, I contacted the Jammu and Kashmir hotline number and verified the information. I was shocked. We (society residents) were leaving for the police station but the police arrived here, searching for Joshi’s residence,” Pachpande added.

Another neighbour and friend of Joshi, Ravi Kumar Nadar, a pharmacist, recalled, “He had cracked a joke before leaving for Kashmir. I had a good laughing session with him just before he left.”

Close friend

Out of six from Maharashtra who were killed in the terror attack, the three victims were from Dombivli. One of them was Atul Mone. The resident of Nandivali area of the city. Atul, a senior section engineer in the Central Railway, had gone to Kashmir with his wife and 18-year-old daughter. Mone, a Central Railway officer, stayed in Shriram Anchal CHS in Thakurwadi, Dombivali (West). He had gone to Kashmir with his wife Anushka, 35, and daughter Richa, 18.

“On Tuesday a TV channel news showed Atul Mone’s name in the list of those killed in Jammu and Kashmir. We were shocked. My special, brotherly friend has been killed in this mindless attack,” Mahesh Surse, a close friend of Atul for 25 years, said. Surse, who lives in the same building as Mone, had planned to visit Kashmir with his family on May 22, but has now cancelled the trip.

Atul, posted at Central Railway workshop in Parel, was vacationing with his wife and daughter. His family members are safe but he tragically lost his life in the attack. A day after 26 individuals were killed in the Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the bodies of three men from Dombivli, who were also killed in the same attack, were to be brought to Bagshala Maidan in Dombivli for a public funeral. The three families were related to each other, and to allow family and friends to gather and pay their respects, the funeral is being held in an open ground to avoid any inconvenience.

Mitesh Penkar, president of the BJP (Dombivli East), was seen supervising the funeral arrangements. Penkar condemned the attack and said that strict action would certainly be taken by senior political leaders and that everyone would unite against such acts of terror.

“Dombivli is a small city, and the entire city is like one family. Three of our family members have been brutally killed, and the entire city is angry and deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. What hurts more is that the victims were asked their names and religion, and based on that, they were targeted. This reflects the attackers’ mindset,” he added further.

Deep sorrow

Sanjay Lele (50) stayed in Vijayshree CHS in Vishnu Nagar, Dombivali West, and had gone to Kashmir along with his wife Kavita, 46, and son Harshal, 20.

Sanjay Lele, who was working in a pharma company in Mumbai. “Sanjay Lele is my brother-in-law, unfortunately he was gunned down by the terrorist. His son, Harshal’s finger was grazed by a bullet. He is recovering in the hospital. The rest of the family is safe. We were planning to leave there by flight,” Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) sub-district chief Rajesh Kadam said.

Lele’s childhood friend, Praveen Raul, speaking with anguish, condemned the brutal attack and demanded strict governmental action. "Every citizen in this country has the constitutional right to travel, settle, or own property in any part of India. That right has been grossly violated," Raul said.

Expressing his deep sorrow over the loss of his friend, Raul added, “This incident clearly shows that we are not safe."

Dombivli turns into a sad state

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

Dombivli: Tragedy struck the quiet suburb of Dombivli as news broke that three of its residents were among those killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Sanjay Lele, Hemant Joshi, and Atul Mone all residents of different housing societies in Dombivli (West) lost their lives in the incident that occurred on Tuesday evening. Their families, who had been traveling with them, survived the attack and are currently in Kashmir.

As the news spread like wildfire early Wednesday morning, hundreds of grief-stricken locals gathered at the housing societies of the deceased to offer condolences. The atmosphere in Dombivli turned sombre, with citizens expressing a deep sense of loss as though the victims were members of their own families.

According to initial reports, the three deceased had travelled to Pahalgam for a family vacation. The attack, believed to be orchestrated by terrorists targeting civilians, has sparked outrage across Maharashtra. The families of the victims were not in the city during the attack but had accompanied the victims to Kashmir. Surviving members of their families are safe and have been receiving assistance from both local and state authorities.

Neighbors described all three victims as kind-hearted and active members of their communities. Shockwaves were felt across their societies, with several people gathering to express their sorrow and demand justice.

Demands for justice

Family members and neighbors have appealed to the government for strict and immediate action against the perpetrators. “We don’t want promises. We want action. My brother-in-law was shot in the stomach. What was his fault?” said a grieving relative of Atul Mone.

Rajesh Prasad, a close friend of Hemant Joshi, expressed anger and disbelief. “They killed 27 of ours, we should take down 270 of theirs. Only then will they learn a lesson,” he said.

Local response

Municipal workers began clearing the vicinity around the victims’ residences in preparation for the arrival of their mortal remains. To prevent traffic congestion during the funeral processions, Dombivli Traffic Department, led by Senior Inspector Shriram Patil, has deployed traffic police and volunteers at strategic points.

Senior political leaders including MLA Ravindra Chavan, MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, and MLA Rajesh More are monitoring the situation closely. Authorities are ensuring that the bodies are transported smoothly from Kashmir and that the bereaved families receive the necessary assistance.

Emergency measures

The Thane District Administration has issued a public appeal for any information regarding local residents currently in Pahalgam. Emergency contact numbers — 9372338827 and 7304673105 — have been made available for the public.

Furthermore, a 24/7 control room and tourist helpdesk have been established in Srinagar to assist any tourists in need. Citizens can reach out via landline (0194-2483651 / 2457543) or WhatsApp (7780805144 / 7780938397).

Road ahead

As Dombivli mourns the loss of its citizens, the incident has reignited the national debate over security in Jammu and Kashmir, especially concerning tourists. “If terrorists have now started targeting innocent vacationers, then this is no longer just a security lapse — it’s a national emergency,” said Deepesh Mhatre, district president of the Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena.

Funeral processions for the three victims are expected to take place upon the arrival of the bodies from Kashmir.