Mom my first love, Dad my strength: Emotional tattoos help identify Delhi blast victim

His family identified him early on Tuesday morning through the tattoos on his arms — each etched with love for his parents and wife, Kriti.

The blast, which left the capital in shock, took the lives of innocent commuters and bystanders caught in the explosion. For the Kataria family, the tragedy struck unbearably close to home.

Amar, who ran a successful pharmaceutical business, was also a devoted husband and father to a three-year-old boy. 

His wife, Kriti, and parents had been planning to go out for dinner with him on Monday night — a plan that never came to be.

“The hospital called us at dawn and described the tattoos — ‘Mom my first love,’ ‘Dad my strength,’ and ‘Kriti’ written on his arm. I broke down and confirmed it was my son,” said Amar’s father, Jagdish Kataria, his voice heavy with grief.

The family had spent the night frantically searching hospitals, hoping for good news. 

But it wasn’t until 4 a.m. that they were finally able to see Amar’s body. 

His father said that while his son’s body showed few external injuries, there was a deep wound on the back of his neck — likely from the explosion’s impact.

A family torn apart

The Kataria household, once full of laughter, now sits in silence.

His parents, sister, and wife are devastated, struggling to process the loss of the cheerful young man they called the “life of the family.”

“He had so many dreams. He loved travelling, biking, and exploring new places. It’s impossible to believe that he’s gone,” said one of Amar’s close friends, recalling his infectious energy and ever-present smile.

Amar had married Kriti four years ago, and the couple was widely admired in their neighbourhood for their warmth and closeness. 

Friends often described him as someone who “could light up any room” with his sense of humour and kindness.

A night of desperation

After hearing about the blast near Red Fort on Monday evening, Amar’s family rushed from hospital to hospital, trying to locate him. 

Roads were blocked off as VIPs and senior police officials surveyed the scene, further delaying their desperate search.

It was only at dawn that they received the devastating call from hospital staff about the tattoos. 

Jagdish Kataria’s trembling confirmation of his son’s identity marked the end of a night filled with uncertainty and anguish.

Innocent lives lost

The Red Fort car bombing, which investigators say may have been carried out by a panicked suicide bomber, has claimed at least nine lives and left over twenty injured. 

For families like the Katarias, the incident has turned ordinary routines into unimaginable loss.

In Delhi’s bustling Chandni Chowk, where Amar’s pharmacy served hundreds of people every day, shutters remain half-closed as neighbours gather to offer condolences. 
Friends and relatives have set up a small memorial outside the Kataria home, with candles flickering beside a framed photo of Amar smiling in his biking gear.

“He was always full of life — never angry, never bitter. That someone like him could become a victim of such mindless violence... it’s unbearable,” said a family friend.