35 Years On, SIA Revives Sarla Bhat Murder Case with 737-Page Chargesheet

In a significant development in one of Jammu and Kashmir's oldest unresolved terror cases, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has filed a 737-page chargesheet in the abduction, torture and murder of SKIMS nurse Sarla Bhat, nearly 35 years after the crime. The chargesheet has been submitted before the Special Court in Srinagar designated under the NIA Act, marking a major step in the prosecution of a case that had remained unresolved for decades.

Sarla Bhat, a staff nurse at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was abducted on April 18, 1990, from the vicinity of the hospital. Investigators allege that she was tortured before being shot dead in Srinagar's Omer Colony. The case was transferred to the SIA in March 2024 for a fresh investigation into the decades-old terror crime.

According to the SIA, the renewed investigation relied on protected witness statements, independent eyewitness accounts, forensic and ballistic analysis, medical records, documentary evidence and extensive field inquiries. The agency said the evidence established that the killing was part of a broader terrorist conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

The chargesheet names former JKLF chief commander Mohammad Yaseen Malik along with Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi alias Idrees and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo for their alleged roles in planning and executing the crime. While three of the accused are deceased, Yaseen Malik is in judicial custody in another case. Proceedings have also been initiated against absconding accused Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, who is believed to have fled to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The investigation also concluded that allegations branding Sarla Bhat as an "informer" were fabricated and used as a pretext for her targeted killing. The SIA said the murder formed part of a campaign of terror aimed at spreading fear among civilians, particularly members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, during the early years of militancy in the Valley.

Calling the chargesheet a milestone in the pursuit of justice, the SIA said the case demonstrates that the passage of time does not diminish criminal liability. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to investigating legacy terror cases and ensuring that those responsible are brought before the law, regardless of how much time has elapsed.

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