Udupi: Paustin Martis (48) of Moodubelle in Udupi taluk fell to the gunfire of terrorists, while two other natives had a miraculous escape in the Mumbai terror attacks.

Martis, who was working as manager of a restaurant at the Taj, died in the Mumbai shoot out between police and terrorists.

He is a native of Kattingeri of Moodubelle in Udupi taluk and the elder son of Valerian Martis and Elice.

He had joined the Taj group 28 years ago, after completing his diploma in hotel management, at Welcomegroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal. On Thursday, Paustin along with Dolphy Lobo, a chef at the Taj and his neighbour in Moodubelle, had reportedly managed to get themselves released from the hostage of terrorists.

Immediately after coming out from the hotel, Paustin is said to have re-entered the hotel to know the whereabouts of his daughter Priya (22), a software engineer. She joined Tata Consultancy Services at its Mumbai facility, which has its office in the Taj building, just 15 days ago. That proved fatal for him. As soon as he entered the hotel, he was reportedly shot down by the terrorists at the second door of the hotel.

According to family sources, his body has been brought out of the hotel on Thursday night. It is also learnt that Priya was released on Friday morning and has been admitted to a hospital on complaints of giddiness. Meanwhile, two more residents of Moddubelle, Sunil Edwin Dalmeida and his uncle, who were working in the Oberoi, had a miraculous escape as they had left the hotel on the previous day of the terror attack.