Srinagar, June 27: 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 before a Special Court in Srinagar in connection with the abduction and murder of SKIMS staff nurse Sarla Bhat in April 1990.
The chargesheet was filed before the Court of the Additional Sessions Judge, TADA/POTA and Special Judge designated under the NIA Act, Srinagar, marking a major step in the investigation nearly 35 years after the incident.
According to officials, the investigation was transferred to the SIA by the Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, on March 18, 2024. Following the transfer, the agency conducted an extensive investigation involving protected witnesses, eyewitness accounts, forensic and ballistic examinations, medical records, documentary evidence, electronic material and field investigations.
The SIA stated that the comprehensive chargesheet is supported by oral testimonies, forensic findings, documentary records and other evidence gathered during the course of the investigation.
According to the agency, Sarla Bhat, a staff nurse at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was allegedly abducted near the hospital on April 18, 1990. Investigators allege that she was subjected to torture before being shot dead in the Omer Colony area of Malbagh, Srinagar.
Officials said the case remained unresolved for decades due to the prevailing security situation and an atmosphere of fear that discouraged witnesses from coming forward. Following the reopening of the investigation, the SIA reconstructed the sequence of events with the help of protected witnesses, eyewitness testimonies and scientific evidence.
The chargesheet names former JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik along with Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi alias Idrees and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo as accused in the case.
According to the SIA, three of the accused—Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi alias Idrees and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo—have since died, while Mohammad Yasin Malik is presently in judicial custody in another case. The agency also stated that proclamation proceedings have been initiated against Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, who is alleged to have fled to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The chargesheet invokes offences under Sections 364, 341, 302 read with 34, 201 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), relevant provisions of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), 1987, and Sections 7 and 27 of the Arms Act, 1959.
According to the investigation, allegations portraying Sarla Bhat as an informer were found to be baseless and were allegedly used as a pretext for her targeted killing. The agency has alleged that the murder formed part of a broader campaign intended to spread fear and facilitate the displacement of members of the Kashmiri Pandit community during the early years of militancy.
The SIA described the filing of the chargesheet as an important milestone in its efforts to pursue justice in long-pending terror-related cases. The agency reiterated that the passage of time would not prevent investigation into serious offences and reaffirmed its commitment to bringing those allegedly responsible before the judicial process in accordance with law.
The matter will now proceed before the designated Special Court, which will examine the chargesheet and determine the subsequent course of legal proceedings.
