Tarishi Jain, an 18-year-old Indian girl studying at the University of California at Berkeley in the US, was among the victims hacked to death in the carnage at a Dhaka restaurant where 20 people, inc
Tarishi Jain, an 18-year-old Indian girl studying at the University of California at Berkeley in the US, was among the victims hacked to death in the carnage at a Dhaka restaurant where 20 people, including Italians, Japanese and South Koreans, were slaughtered by terrorists. Her father, Sanjeev Jain, runs a garment business in Bangladesh.
An Indian doctor, Satyapal, who was among the hostages, escaped death and was released by the terrorists along with some Bangladeshi hostages since he spoke Bengali and the terrorists mistook him for a Bangladeshi, Indian government sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Bangladesh counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, following the terror attack. New Delhi is worried about the rampant attacks on minorities and foreigners in Bangladesh continuing despite a crackdown by the government there.
Tarishi’s Facebook account reveals a happy and vivacious teenager who was fond of music and a Justin Timberlake fan besides being a volleyball player. She had completed her schooling from the American School, Dhaka, before going on to study at Berkeley.
The Indian government has arranged visas for Tarishi’s family members to fly to Dhaka on Sunday.
“The attack in Dhaka has pained us beyond words. I spoke to PM Sheikh Hasina and strongly condemned the despicable attack,” Prime Minister Modi said. “India stands firmly with our sisters & brothers of Bangladesh in this hour of grief. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that those who are injured recover quickly,” Mr Modi tweeted.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said, “I have spoken to her father, Mr Sanjeev Jain, and conveyed our deepest condolences. The country is with them in this hour of grief.” She added, in a tweet: “I am extremely pained to share that the terrorists have killed Tarishi, an Indian girl who was taken hostage in the terror attack in Dhaka. Tarishi passed out from the American School, Dhaka. Presently, she was a student at Berkeley. I spoke to Tarishi’s father and offered him all assistance. We have arranged a visa for the family and they are flying tomorrow.”
“I monitored this (the hostage crisis) personally the whole night. Our deputy high commissioner in Dhaka, Adarsh Swaika, is with the family since yesterday ... We are coordinating with Tarishi’s uncle Rakesh Jain,” she added.
After the brutal murder of yet another Hindu priest in Bangladesh earlier on Friday, India had said it was looking at the “problem” in the neighbouring country with utmost “seriousness”. New Delhi said Bangladesh had apprehended about 11,000 persons so far in the crackdown on those suspected of carrying out attacks on religious minorities as well as foreigners. The ministry of external affairs on Friday had said India trusted Bangladesh’s assurances in this regard and that Dhaka had told New Delhi that local “Jamaat and other criminal elements” were responsible for the attacks, and not the ISIS. But observers feel that Bangladesh may be underestimating the ideological impact of ISIS, which wields influence over right-wing fundamentalist elements there.
