The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, in collaboration with local police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), carried out a major operation on August 12, 2025, involving simultaneous raids at eight locations across Srinagar. These raids are part of a reinvestigation into the abduction and murder of Sarla Bhat, a 27-year-old Kashmiri Pandit nurse, in April 1990. The renewed probe aims to deliver justice for a brutal crime committed during the peak of insurgency in Kashmir.
A Heinous Crime in 1990
In April 1990, during the height of terrorism in Kashmir, Sarla Bhat, a nurse at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura, Srinagar, was abducted from the institute’s Habba Khatoon Hostel by terrorists affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). For several days, she was subjected to gang rape and torture.
Her mutilated body, bearing bullet wounds, was discovered on April 19, 1990, in Umar Colony, Mallabagh, downtown Srinagar. A note labeling her a “police informant” was found on her body—an accusation tied to her refusal to comply with terrorist orders for Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Valley or quit government jobs.
Targeted Violence Against Kashmiri Pandits
Sarla’s killing was part of a wider campaign of targeted violence against Kashmiri Pandits, marked by threats, murders, and forced displacement. At the time, the government’s inaction left the community vulnerable, contributing to the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Many contemporaries recall that Sarla had openly defied terrorist directives, which likely made her a target. The attack was reportedly orchestrated by the JKLF, a now-banned terrorist organization.
From a Cold Case to Renewed Action
Initially registered at Nigeen Police Station, the case failed to identify the perpetrators due to inadequate investigation. Last year, it was transferred to the SIA as part of the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s broader push to reopen unsolved terror-related cases from the 1990s and ensure justice for victims.
Coordinated Raids Across Srinagar
On August 12, 2025, SIA teams conducted searches at eight residences in Srinagar, focusing on individuals formerly linked to the JKLF. Among the locations searched were the residences of JKLF chief Yasin Malik and Peer Noorul Haq Shah, alias “Air Marshal,” a former JKLF leader. Some homes belonged to deceased or currently incarcerated JKLF commanders.
The raids aim to recover incriminating evidence and “unearth the entire terrorist conspiracy” behind Sarla Bhat’s murder. The operation began in the early hours and involved coordinated efforts by the SIA, local police, and the CRPF.
A Step Toward Justice
Reopening Sarla’s case is part of the SIA’s broader initiative to address unresolved cases of targeted killings from the early 1990s—a period marked by the large-scale exodus of Kashmiri Pandits due to terrorist violence. Authorities see these actions as vital for holding perpetrators accountable and providing long-awaited justice to the victims and their families.