The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that three Kerala High Court Judges who had visited Pahalgam ahead of the terror attack on Tuesday, April 22, are safe in Srinagar. The judges narrowly escaped the terror attack and had left for Srinagar a few hours before, media reports said. Four MLAs from the state M Mukesh, T Saddique, KPA Majeed and K Ansalan are in Srinagar as part of their Assembly Assurance Committee visit.
The CM has instructed the Non Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) routes to assist Keralites who are currently in Jammu and Kashmir and to provide them with necessary services.
The HC judges Justice PG Ajithkumar, Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice Girish were on a tour and are currently safe at their hotel in Srinagar and will be returning to Kerala on Thursday, April 24. According to reports, They left for Srinagar from Pahalgam just a few hours before the terrorist attack.
Legislators from Kerala spoke to Aarati Menon, the daughter of Ramachandran, a Keralite who was killed in Pahalgam. Speaking to media over phone, MLA Siddque said, “ I have spoken to Aarati. She told me that her mother is a heart patient and has not been informed about Ramachandran’s death yet. His body will soon be airlifted to Delhi and the family will also travel in the same flight.”
MLA and actor Mukesh said that the families of victims were seen venting their sorrow and anger at political leaders as they lost their loved ones, questioning them about sending innocent citizens to a place that was unsafe. “They just wanted to spend some happy moments together but were unaware that the trip would end tragically,” he said.
The Department of Non-Resident Keralite’s Affairs (NORKA), an initiative by the Government of Kerala to address the issues of non-resident Keralites, has started a help desk. Help Desk can be reached in following numbers: 18004253939 (Toll-free), 00918802012345 (missed call).