SIA Files 737‑Page Chargesheet Naming Yasin Malik In 1990 Sarla Bhat Killing Case

Srinagar: Thirty-six years after the abduction and killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a 737-page chargesheet naming JKLF chief Yasin Malik as the prime accused, terming the move a “historic milestone” in the pursuit of justice for victims of terrorism.

The chargesheet, submitted before the designated NIA court in Srinagar, also names Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Ghulam Mohammad Taploo and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi.

While Chalkoo is believed to have exfiltrated to Pakistan, the others are deceased. Malik remains in judicial custody in another case.  SIA said the investigation, reopened in March 2024, was built on raids, witness accounts, forensic and electronic evidence painstakingly compiled over two years.

“The filing of the chargesheet after nearly 35 years marks a historic milestone in the pursuit of justice for victims of terrorism,” the agency said in a statement, adding, “No matter how many years have elapsed, those responsible for terrorist atrocities will continue to remain answerable before the law.”

“For decades, the silence around Sarla Bhat’s killing symbolized the unfinished grief of an entire community. Justice delayed may have deepened wounds, but this chargesheet proves that truth cannot be erased by time, nor can accountability be buried under fear. It is not only about one nurse who was brutally taken away; it is about restoring dignity to every victim of terror and reminding us that the rule of law, however late, will always outlast the violence that tried to silence it,” said a resident of downtown Srinagar.

The chargesheet establishes offences under multiple sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), and the Indian Arms Act.

Legal proceedings, including proclamation proceedings, have been initiated against Chalkoo, identified as the man who pulled the trigger.

Pertinently, the case dates back to April 1990, when Sarla Bhat, a nurse at SKIMS Soura, went missing. Her body was found in the Malbagh area of Srinagar a day later, brutally killed.

The incident was among the earliest targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits during the insurgency. For decades, the case remained dormant until its revival in 2024.