Yasin Malik Charged in 1990 Sarla Bhat Murder Case

Thirty-six years after the abduction and murder of nurse Sarla Bhat in Srinagar, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a 737-page chargesheet naming JKLF chief Yasin Malik and four others as key accused. The 1990 case, which occurred during the peak of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, was long considered a legacy cold case before being reopened for a fresh probe. Officials described the chargesheet as a significant milestone, asserting that the investigation definitively links Malik to the conspiracy and execution of the targeted killing of the Kashmiri Pandit nurse.

Investigators found that Sarla Bhat, who worked at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was abducted on April 12, 1990, while returning to her hostel. She was subjected to severe physical torture and rape before being shot to death. The SIA has stated that the murder was not an isolated incident but part of a systematic JKLF campaign intended to terrorize the Kashmiri Pandit community and facilitate their forced exodus from the Kashmir Valley. Although a note claiming responsibility for the killing was found with the body at the time, the original probe faltered due to the security situation and missing forensic evidence.

The case was revived following directives from the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor in 2023, leading to the transfer of the file to the SIA in 2024. The new investigation relied on a combination of fresh witness testimonies, electronic evidence, and archival documentation to build the case. Alongside Malik, the chargesheet names Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Ghulam Mohammad Taploo, and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi. Officials have initiated proceedings against Chalkoo, who is reportedly absconding in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, while noting that three of the other accused are deceased. The filing of the chargesheet marks a major effort to secure accountability for crimes committed during the height of the regional insurgency.