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 Tricolour. Married only a week ago, the couple was on their honeymoon in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam when terrorists shot the 26-year-old officer at point blank in front of her.

“Let his soul rest in peace. We should be proud of him in every way. 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 from Kashmir to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, from where they were taken to his native place in Haryana’s Karnal.

His last rites were held with full military honours.

“Jai Hind,” Himanshi said, saluting her husband.

At the airport, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta paid homage to the Navy officer and laid a wreath at his mortal remains. She also comforted his wife.

A Navy vehicle carried Narwal’s mortal remains from Delhi to Karnal with his wife and other family members accompanying it. When they reached Karnal, a large number of people turned up to pay their last respects, with some raising “Pakistan Murdabad” slogans.

Slogans were raised at the cremation ground as well.

Narwal’s wife and family members accompanied the Navy officer on his final journey to the cremation ground in another vehicle, in front of which a poster with his photo was pinned. It read, “Bharat Ka Lal Vinay Narwal Amar Rahe” (Bharat’s son Vinay Narwal never dies).

Thousands of people turned up at the cremation ground in Karnal.

The last rites were held in the evening with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan, state BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli, and Punjab’s Finance Minister and AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema attending.

Navy personnel offered a gun salute as the mortal remains were consigned to flames. Narwal’s younger sister Shrishti performed some of the rituals.

Some neighbours said Narwal initially planned to visit Europe for the honeymoon but changed the plan due to visa issues and visited Kashmir instead. They said the family had also made grand plans to celebrate his birthday next month.

However, grief descended on the house which until Tuesday morning was in the langour of wedding celebrations. When news about the terror attack came in, the coloured tent put up at the young Navy officer’s home for the wedding was replaced with a white one.

Narwal’s father Rajesh Kumar is a government employee, mother Asha Devi a homemaker and younger sister Shrishti is pursuing studies.

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

“Today, I have lost my grandson, tomorrow it can be someone else,” he told Saini.

Later, Hawa Singh, who also served in Haryana Police, told reporters that the government should give a befitting reply to the terrorists. He said they asked the victims about their religion and shot them.

People thronged the slain officer’s home to pay condolences.There was anger among Karnal residents and neighbours, who demanded that the Centre give a befitting reply to Pakistan for “aiding and abetting terrorism”.

A couple of videos of the newly wed couple circulated on social media, one of which showed them dancing with snow-clad mountains in the background.

In another purported video that had gone viral, a visibly shaken Himanshi is heard saying from the incident site, “I was eating bhel puri and my husband was with me. A person came and asked if he was a Muslim. When he denied, the man shot him dead.” Narwal’s colleagues remembered him as a cheerful and dedicated officer.

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

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

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

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

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said those responsible for the “cowardly” attack 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 earlier in the day.

Later, he briefly interacted with media in Karnal in the evening, asserting the Centre’s resolve to fight terrorism. The nation stands in solidarity with those who have lost their loved ones in the ghastly attack, Saini said.

In a separate media interaction after attending Narwal’s last rites in Karnal, Punjab minister Harpal Singh Cheema expressed deep sorrow over the loss of a brave son of the nation.

“Lieutenant Vinay Narwal’s martyrdom is a painful moment for the entire country. It is heart-wrenching to see the young lives of our soldiers cut short. The Central government must take decisive action to ensure that such tragedies are not repeated,” Cheema said.

“This is the first time tourists have been specifically targeted and it is an extremely unfortunate incident. The government must act swiftly and decisively to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors,” he emphasised.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader reiterated the need for stringent security measures and a united front against terrorism. PTI ARM SSK ROH SUN VSD MNK RUK RUK