Ahmedabad, 24 April

When a father-son duo from Gujarat went to Kashmir on a spiritual sojourn, they would have never thought this would be their last journey.

Yatish Parmar and his son Smit were among 19 persons from Bhavnagar in Gujarat who went to Kashmir on April 16 to attend religious preacher Morari Bapu's discourse in Srinagar, sources said.

After attending the discourse, they were visiting Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday when terrorists struck and gunned down 26 persons, including the father-son duo, who were residents of Kaliyabid area in Bhavnagar city.

Another person hailing from Surat, Suresh Kalathiya, was also on a vacation with his wife and two children when he was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam.

His wife and children survived.

Kalathiya (44), who belonged to Chikuwadi area in Surat city, shifted to Mumbai four years ago due to a job transfer.

The mortal remains of Yatish Parmar and his son were brought to Ahmedabad airport in a flight from Mumbai. Kalathiya's body was brought to Surat airport in another flight on Wednesday night.

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel and Minister of State for Health Harsh Sanghavi paid floral tributes to the departed souls at the airport here, an official release said.

From the airport, the bodies of Parmar and his son were taken to Bhavnagar in a mortuary van, it said.

At Surat airport, Union minister CR Paatil and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to Kalathiya after his mortal remains were brought from Mumbai.

Kalathiya's wife and two children were also brought to Surat by the same flight.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has already reached Bhavnagar as he will attend the last rites of Yatish and Smit Parmar on Thursday.

MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi will attend the last rites of Kalathiya in Surat on Thursday morning, said an official release.

Kalathiya's family said his father Himmatbhai, who lives in Amreli district, has reached Surat.