Chandigarh/Kochi, Apr 23 (PTI) There was hardly a dry eye as Indian Navy officer Vinay Narwal’s wife Himanshi bid adieu to him embracing his coffin wrapped in the tricolour. Married on April 16, the couple was on their honeymoon trip to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam when terrorists killed the officer in cold blood in front of his wife.

“Let his soul rest in peace…We should all be proud of him in every way. And we will make him proud in every way,” said Himanshi, who hails from Gurugram and is pursuing a PhD. On Wednesday afternoon, Narwal’s mortal remains were brought to the IGI airport in Delhi from Kashmir, from where they were taken to his native place Karnal in Haryana.

“Jai Hind,” Himanshi said, saluting her husband Narwal at the IGI.

At the airport, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta paid homage to Narwal (26) and laid a wreath at the mortal remains and was also seen trying to comfort his wife.

On Wednesday morning, Chief Minister Saini made a video call to Narwal’s grandfather Hawa Singh, who sought from Prime Minister Narendra Modi exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of the attack and firm action to weed out terrorism.

“Today, I have lost my grandson, tomorrow it can be someone else,” he said while speaking to CM Saini.

“I was eating bhel puri and my husband was also here. A person came and asked if he was Muslim and when he denied, the man shot him dead,” Himanshi is heard saying in a purported video of her, which has gone viral on social media.

Narwal’s colleagues remembered him as a cheerful and dedicated officer.

“Lt Narwal was always cheerful and deeply committed to his duties,” a Navy officer recalled.

Narwal had been serving at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi for the past one-and-a-half years after joining the Navy in 2022, officials said.

“The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and all personnel of the Indian Navy are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Lt Vinay Narwal, who fell victim to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam,” the Navy spokesperson said in a post on ‘X’.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family during this moment of unimaginable grief. The Indian Navy also stands in solemn solidarity with all others who lost their lives in this heinous act of violence,” the post added.

Narwal’s neighbour Naresh Bansal said, “After the marriage, everyone was celebrating and was in a happy mood. And now suddenly this sad news comes.” Another neighbour Seema recalled that there were grand celebrations at his home and not just the Narwal family, but the entire neighbourhood was celebrating after the wedding.

“They were planning a honeymoon in Switzerland, but decided to go to Kashmir instead, taking into account the leave he had…We can’t imagine what his family is going through,” she said.

There was anger among the Karnal residents and many neighbours of Narwal, who thronged his residence and demanded that the Centre give a befitting reply to Pakistan for “aiding and abetting terrorism”.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said those responsible for the “cowardly” attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam will not be spared.

“We strongly condemn the cowardly and planned attack on tourists… Those who have committed this act will not be spared, and strict action will be taken against them,” Saini told reporters in Gurugram, asserting that the Centre’s resolve to fight against terror is firm.

Narwal’s father Rajesh Kumar is a government employee, mother Asha Devi a homemaker and younger sister Shrishti is pursuing her studies. PTI ARM SSK ROH SUN VSD MNK MNK