Justice After 35 Years: SIA Reopens Case of Brave Kashmiri Pandit Nurse Sarla Bhat’s Brutal Killing by JKLF Terrorists
By ANN News Desk
Srinagar, Aug 12 — Justice in one of the most horrific crimes of the 1990 insurgency, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu & Kashmir has launched extensive searches across Srinagar in connection with the brutal killing of 27-year-old Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat, who was abducted and murdered by JKLF terrorists in April 1990.
Sarla, a courageous nurse from Anantnag, served at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura. On April 18, 1990, she was forcibly taken from the Habba Khatoon Hostel of SKIMS by terrorists affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. The following morning, her bullet-ridden body was discovered in downtown Srinagar’s Umar Colony Mallabagh with a note falsely branding her as a police informer.
Her murder — documented under FIR No. 56/1990 at Police Station Nigeen — was part of a wider campaign of targeted killings and terror designed to drive Kashmiri Pandits out of the Valley. Even after her death, locals allegedly threatened her family, warning them not to attend her cremation.
Sarla had defied the diktats of terrorists to leave her job and abandon the Valley. Her refusal to submit to extremist threats, and her open defiance against the JKLF, made her a target.
Initial investigations by local police failed to bring the culprits to justice. In 2024, the case was transferred to the SIA by competent authorities to ensure a thorough probe.
Today, as part of the ongoing investigation, SIA carried out coordinated searches at eight locations across Srinagar, recovering crucial incriminating evidence. Officials say these findings are expected to expose the full terrorist conspiracy and pave the way for prosecution of the actual perpetrators.
Calling it “a case of justice delayed, but not denied,” officials reaffirmed that the renewed investigation reflects the unwavering resolve of the J&K LG administration and SIA to ensure accountability for heinous terror acts against innocent civilians.
Sarla Bhat’s story stands as a testament to courage in the face of terror — and a grim reminder of the targeted persecution faced by Kashmiri Pandits during the height of militancy in the Valley.
