NEW DELHI: More than three decades after the brutal killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat, the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has intensified efforts to bring her killers to justice, launching fresh searches at multiple locations in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Sarla Bhat, 27, a nurse from Anantnag, worked at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura, Srinagar. On April 18, 1990, she was abducted from the Habba Khatoon Hostel of SKIMS by terrorists affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
The following morning, her bullet-ridden body was found in the thoroughfare at Umar Colony Mallabagh, Soura. A note falsely branding her as a police informant was left beside her body. The killing was registered under FIR No. 56/1990 at Police Station Nigeen, Srinagar.
1990 Killing of Kashmiri Pandit
At the peak of the 1990 insurgency, when militants issued diktats ordering Kashmiri Pandits to quit their jobs and leave the Valley, Sarla chose to stay and continue working. Her open defiance reportedly angered JKLF terrorists, ultimately leading to her abduction and killing.
Her murder formed part of a wider campaign of violence aimed at instilling fear among Kashmiri Pandits and forcing the community to flee the Valley. Even after her death, her family received threats, with locals warning them against attending her cremation.
SIA Reopens The Probe
Initial investigations by the local police failed to identify the actual perpetrators. Last year, the case was transferred to the SIA J&K by competent authorities in a bid to reinvigorate the probe.
As part of this renewed investigation, SIA conducted searches at eight locations across Srinagar district today, recovering incriminating evidence believed to be crucial in uncovering the larger terrorist conspiracy behind her murder.
“The ultimate aim is to deliver justice to the victim and her family,” an SIA spokesperson said, adding that in the realm of criminal jurisprudence, this stands as a case of justice delayed, but not denied.
Officials said the searches reflect the J&K LG administration’s resolve to bring the actual perpetrators of heinous terror crimes to justice, even decades later. The recovered material will undergo further forensic and investigative examination to strengthen the case for prosecution under law.
Sarla’s story remains a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who resisted militant intimidation during the turbulent 1990s and of the long and continuing struggle for justice.
