Pahalgam Victim's Son Scores 80% In SSC, Family Avoids Celebration, 'The Grief Is Too Fresh'

A moment that would have otherwise been marked with joyful cheers and sweets has now turned bitter for 16-year-old Dhruv Hemant Joshi, who could not celebrate his remarkable academic milestone, scoring 80% in his SSC Class 10 examinations. For Dhruv and his family, celebration is the last thing at this point, as they are still trying to come to terms with the tragic loss that happened just three weeks ago. Dhruv’s father, Hemant Joshi, was one of the 26 innocent civilians who lost their lives in the heinous terror attack at Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2024.

Pahalgam victim, Hemant Joshi’s son, Dhruv Joshi, clears the SSC Class 10 exams with flying colours

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education declared the Class 10 results on May 13, 2025. For 16-year-old Dhruv, a student of Omkar International School in Dombivli, Maharashtra, the news came as a rare ray of hope in a grief-stricken house. Rajesh Kadam, a relative of the family, was quoted by The Times of India, saying:

“Dhruv, a student of Omkar International School. He and his family feel very sad that his father is not there to see his success.”

Dhruv Joshi watched his father and relatives die in front of his eyes

On the fateful day of April 22, 2025, Hemant Joshi, along with his relatives, Sanjay Lele and Atul Mone, were among the 26 innocent lives gunned down in front of their families by terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF), an affiliate of Lashkar-e-Taiba, during a trip to Pahalgam’s once-serene Baisaran Valley. What was meant to be a bonding experience for the extended family turned into their worst nightmare.

To make things worse, among the family members present there, Dhruv was a first-hand witness to the massacre and saw his own father and relatives die brutal deaths. The young boy has since been struggling to process the trauma. According to family members, neither he nor his mother could bring themselves to celebrate the academic feat, knowing the one person who would have been proudest, Hemant, was no longer there. Their relative, Rajesh Kadam, was quoted as saying:

“He and his family feel very sad that his father is not there to see his success.”

Meanwhile, another relative of the grieving Joshi family, Mohit Bhave, shared that Dhruv has decided to pursue the science stream and dreams of becoming a doctor one day. It is not only Dhruv but also his extended family that fails to celebrate any achievement coming their way. Harshad Lele, son of another victim, Sanjay Lele and also an eyewitness to the horror, recently cleared his TYBCom (Third Year Bachelor of Commerce) examination with an A grade, but they are too traumatised to enjoy these achievements. Their relative was quoted as saying:

"Recently, Sanjay Lele’s son and my nephew Harshad, who also witnessed the killing of his father, also passed his TYBcom with an A grade."

As the nation is still reeling from the shock of the horrific terror attack, Dhruv Joshi’s academic achievement offers a flicker of hope to the grieving family. 

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