The photograph of Himanshi Narwal, sitting beside the lifeless body of her husband, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, an Indian Navy officer, has become a haunting symbol of the devastation caused by a brutal attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam by armed men on Tuesday, which claimed the lives of at least 26 people.
Newlywed Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, 26, from Karnal, Haryana, was on his honeymoon with his wife, Himanshi Narwal, when he was killed in the militant attack.
The image, showing Himanshi Narwal, deeply grief-stricken, sitting with her legs folded under her, dressed in a brown jacket, her hands with “chooda” (bridal bangles) resting on her lap, frozen in shock and sorrow alongside the lifeless body of Vinay Narwal, dressed in a black shirt and gray shorts with bare feet, and their scattered backpack, has been widely circulated.
The couple had married just six days earlier and had arrived in J&K on Monday to celebrate their honeymoon.
An engineering graduate, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal joined the Indian Navy three years ago and was posted in Kochi, Kerala.
Lieutenant Vinay Narwal had taken leave on March 28 for his wedding celebrations.
He was engaged to Himanshi, who is pursuing her PhD and also conducts online coaching classes for students, on March 4, married in a destination ceremony in Mussoorie on April 16, and held a reception in Karnal on April 19.
The couple had initially planned a honeymoon trip to Switzerland, but after failing to secure a visa, they made a last-minute decision to visit Jammu and Kashmir instead.
In a video that has gone viral, Himanshi is heard saying, “I was eating bhel puri with my husband. A person came and asked if he [Narwal] was Muslim. When he denied, the man shot him dead.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Navy said, “Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, #CNS, and all personnel of the Indian Navy are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Lt Vinay Narwal who fell to the dastardly terror attack in Pahalgam. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family during this moment of unimaginable grief.”
“The #IndianNavy also stands in solemn solidarity with all others that lost their lives in this heinous act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and we pray for the swift recovery of those injured,” they added.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed his condolences to the bereaved families, calling the incident “unfortunate.” He stated, “The government stands in solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones.”
Saini also spoke with Narwal’s grandfather Hawa Singh over a video call.
Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand and Assandh MLA Yogender Singh Rana reached Narwal’s residence and met his family members.
His father, Rajesh Kumar, serves as a superintendent in the Customs Department in Panipat, while his grandfather, Hawa Singh, retired from the Haryana Police in 2004.
