With Jai Hind & salute, wife bids final adieu to naval officer killed in Pahalgam terror attack; Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini among thousands who attend funeral

Karnal: Quiet sobs and shattered voice of Naval officer Vinay Narwal's wife Himanshi pierced the hearts of thousands gathered for the funeral of the 26-year-old killed in the terror attack in Pahalgam.
Heart-rending scenes were witnessed as Himanshi bid adieu to him embracing his coffin wrapped in the tricolour amid slogans of "Hindustan zindabad, Pakistan murdabad."
"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 along with Vinay's younger sister Shrishti, 25, carried out the final rites after carrying his bier to the cremation ground in Karnal.
Married on April 16 in Mussoorie, the couple was on their honeymoon trip to the Jammu and Kashmir tourist destination when terrorists killed the officer in cold blood in front of his wife.
Earlier, Narwal's mortal remains were brought to the IGI Airport in Delhi from Kashmir, from where they were taken to his native place Karnal. "Jai Hind," Himanshi said, saluting her husband Narwal at the IGI Airport.
At the airport, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta paid homage to Narwal and laid a wreath at the mortal remains and was also seen trying to comfort his wife.
In the morning, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh 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, who later attended the funeral.
Hunt down the terrorists: Uncle to PM
Vinay's uncle Surjeet Narwal too sought action against the terrorists. "I request PM Modi to shut petty missions and find those terrorists, kill each one of them in the same manner they killed our people. The PM should find them, and destroy them," Surjeet said.
Calling Vinay a true gentleman, he said the officer used to always touch his feet whenever he used to meet him. "We celebrated his wedding merely a week ago and now we are forced to make arrangements for his funeral."
Vinay's colleagues remembered him as a cheerful and dedicated officer. "He was always cheerful and deeply committed to his duties," a Navy officer recalled.
Vinay 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.
Haryana assembly speaker Harvinder Kalyan, who visited the Lieutenant's residence to offer condolences, said, "PM Modi will take the strictest action against the terrorists. The govt will do its best to bring justice to the mourning families as this incident has shaken every single soul in the country."
CM Saini said those responsible for the "cowardly" attack would 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 mediapersons in Gurugram, asserting that the Centre's resolve to fight against terror is firm.
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Family was planning his birthday bash on May 1
The martyr's family was planning a grand celebration for the Navy officer's first birthday post-wedding on May 1. He was expected to return to duty in Kochi on May 3 with his wife Himanshi. They had already booked a rest house there. Amit, a relative, said that they were making plans for his birthday party, but now funeral arrangements were being finalised.
Earlier, Haryana agriculture minister Shyam Singh Rana, MLA Jagmohan Anand, Yogender Rana and Kalyan visited the Lieutenant's residence to offer condolences. Haryana cabinet minister Manohar Lal interacted with the mourning family through video call and assured strict action against the terrorists.
(With inputs from agency reports)