Srinagar, June 29: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Monday filed an over 737-page comprehensive chargesheet naming banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik and four other JKLF operatives in the kidnapping and killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat in April 1990.
The chargesheet filed before the Court of Additional Sessions Judge for TADA/POTA cases, Special Judge designated under the NIA Act, Srinagar, said that the investigation by SIA conclusively established that the killing of Sarla was not an isolated act of violence but part of a larger terrorist conspiracy orchestrated under the command and control of the JKLF.
Sarla Bhat, a 27-year-old nurse at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and a resident of Anantnag, was among the few Kashmiri Pandits who chose to remain in the Valley after militancy erupted in 1990.
According to SIA, Sarla was abducted from the vicinity of SKIMS on 18 April 1990, subjected to brutal torture and physical assault, and thereafter horrendously killed through automatic rifle fire at Omer Colony, Malbagh, Srinagar.
The investigation has revealed the involvement of Mohammad Yaseen Malik, then Chief Commander of JKLF, along with Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi alias Idrees and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo in planning and executing the abduction and brutal killing.
Of the five identified JKLF members, three have died, one is in custody, and one is absconding.
While Hamid Sheikh, Yousuf Sofi and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo have died since then, Yaseen Malik is presently in judicial custody in another case.
Legal proceedings including proclamation proceedings, have been initiated against absconding terrorist Khurshid Chalkoo- the man who SIA said, pulled the trigger and is is believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK)
The case of Sarla Bhat killing was transferred to SIA J&K on March 18, 2024.
“The chargesheet, painstakingly compiled after an exhaustive investigation, brings together a formidable body of oral, documentary, forensic, ballistic, medical and electronic evidence accumulated over decades and meticulously analysed by SIA Kashmir,” SIA stated.
The chargesheet establishes offences punishable under Sections 364, 341, 302 read with 34, 201 and 120-B RPC, Sections 3(2), 3(3), 4 and 6 of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987 (TADA), and Sections 7 and 27 of the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
“The investigation further established that the allegation portraying Sarla Bhat as an “informer” was entirely false and constituted a fabricated pretext employed by terrorists to justify a premeditated assassination. Evidence collected during investigation demonstrates that the murder formed part of JKLF’s systematic campaign of targeted terrorist violence intended to spread fear among innocent civilians, particularly members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, create conditions for their forced displacement from the Kashmir Valley and advance the secessionist agenda of the terrorist organisation,” SIA chargesheet read.
“The successful culmination of this investigation after thirty-five years is a powerful reminder that the passage of time does not erase criminal liability. Terrorists, secessionists, overground workers and all those involved in terrorist conspiracies must understand that the law remains relentless in its pursuit of justice. No amount of time, concealment or geographical distance can permanently shield perpetrators from accountability,” the SIA asserted.
It stated that filing of this 737-page chargesheet is not merely the conclusion of an investigation; it is a tribute to the memory of a victim who was denied justice for decades, a reaffirmation of the rule of law and a message of hope to countless victims of terrorism and their families. “It demonstrates that every victim matters, every crime will be investigated and every effort will be made to ensure that those responsible are brought before the justice system.”
“This landmark investigation stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment of SIA Kashmir and the Government of India to uncover the truth behind even the oldest unresolved terrorist crimes and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. It sends a strong and unmistakable message that terrorism has no limitation period, justice has a long memory, and the law will ultimately catch up with those who believe they can escape accountability through fear, violence or the passage of time,” it asserted.
“SIA Kashmir remains steadfast in its resolve to investigate every act of terrorism with professionalism, perseverance and impartiality, reaffirming that no terrorist crime is too old to investigate, no victim too forgotten to seek justice for, and no perpetrator beyond the reach of law,” it further asserted.