The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a 700-plus-page chargesheet naming banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik as the main accused in the 1990 kidnapping and murder case of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. The chargesheet was submitted before a designated NIA court in Srinagar, marking a major development in a case that remained unresolved for over three decades.
According to officials, Sarla Bhat, a nurse at SKIMS Soura, was abducted in April 1990 and later found dead in downtown Srinagar. The case, reopened in 2024, has now led to formal charges against Malik and four other alleged associates, including Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Ghulam Mohammad Taploo, and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi.
The SIA stated that the investigation included forensic, medical, documentary, and electronic evidence collected over the years. It said the case proves that time cannot shield individuals accused of terrorism and that justice will continue regardless of delays.
The agency added that some of the accused have died, while Malik is currently in judicial custody in another case. Proceedings have also been initiated against absconding accused Chalkoo.
The charges have been filed under various sections of the TADA Act, Arms Act, and Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping-related provisions.
