Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu Kashmir Police have summoned the zipline operator after a tourist accidentally recorded the Pahalgam attack in which 26 people lost their lives last week, India Today reported.
In the video, which has gone viral on social media, Rishi Bhatt is seen enjoying the ride even as the attack unfolded on the ground below at Baisaran Valley on April 22.
Watch Video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI_65pIzNFr/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The 53-second video, shot using a selfie stick, showed people running for their lives, with one of them falling, apparently after being gunned down by a terrorist.
Talking to reporters, Bhatt said he had gone to Baisaran Valley with his wife and a child, and they decided to enjoy a zipline ride.
While his wife and child took the ride safely and reached the other side, the firing started just as his ride began, said the Ahmedabad resident, who is in the event management business.
He said the zipline operator sent nine people for the ride before him.
“When I got ready and got the selfie stick ready, he (the operator) said, ‘Allah hu Akbar’ three times. And the firing started. He kept looking down while uttering the words. When we saw the video the next day, I realised that the firing started after he said ‘Allah hu Akbar,’” Bhat claimed.
The tourist, who later reviewed the footage upon returning to Ahmedabad, revealed a chilling detail: just moments before the gunfire began, the zipline operator, as per Indian media, can be heard saying “Allah Hu Akbar”. (God is great), a phrase many Kashmiris and Muslims often repeat.
The video quickly went viral, becoming a focal point of Indian TV coverage and social media discourse. Several channels and users controversially fixated on the phrase “Allah Hu Akbar,” turning it into a subject of heated debate.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) officially took over the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack on April 26, 2025.
