SynopsisSarla Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit nurse abducted and killed in 1990, is the subject of a 737-page charge sheet filed by the SIA in Srinagar. Yasin Malik, former JKLF chief, is named alongside four others. While Malik is incarcerated, some accused have died and one is absconding. The investigation, transferred to the SIA in March, aims to bring closure to the decades-old case.Listen to this article in summarized formatAgenciesKashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik Srinagar: Kashmir’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a 737-page chargesheet before a Special Court in Srinagar in connection with the 1990 abduction and killing of a nurse Sarla Bhat, who is a Kashmiri Pandit. Former chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Yasin Malik, has been named in the chargesheet.The chargesheet has been submitted before the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, TADA/POTA and Special Judge designated under the NIA Act, Srinagar. Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo have also been named as accused. Malik is currently in Tihar jail, Chalkoo is absconding while Sofi, Sheikh and Taploo have died.Bhat was employed as a nurse at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) and was killed on April 18, 1990. Her body was found in Malabagh area on the outskirts of Srinagar.The investigation was transferred to the SIA by the Director General of J&K Police, in March 18, 2024, following which the agency carried out a detailed probe.Advocate Adil Pandit, Malik’s lawyer said “nothing has been proven against Malik in this chargesheet and it is an attempt to grab headlines using his name”.“They don’t have an iota of evidence against Malik except a statement of a protected witness who says he has heard Malik talking about this incident...we will challenge this in court. Besides, Malik was in partial coma and later in jail when all this happened,” said Pandit. He said “there is no mention of rape in the chargesheet” as is being reported everywhere.SIA officials said the chargesheet is based on oral testimonies, documentary records, forensic and ballistic reports, medical evidence, electronic material and extensive field investigations collected and analysed during the course of the investigation.SIA stated that filing the chargesheet nearly 35 years after the incident marks an important step in pursuing justice and the investigation demonstrates that “serious terror-related offences continue to be investigated irrespective of the passage of time”.According to the chargesheet, offences have been invoked 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 Indian Arms Act, 1959.The investigation also states that allegations portraying 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 the Kashmiri Pandit community during the early years of militancy.SIA said the filing of the chargesheet reflects its continued commitment to investigating unresolved terror cases and bringing those allegedly involved before the judicial process. The agency maintained that no terror-related offence is beyond investigation and reaffirmed its resolve to pursue such cases in accordance with law.( Originally published on Jun 29, 2026 )Read More News on