34 Years After Sarla Bhat's Abduction, Chargesheet Filed Against Yasin Malik; Family Disappointed
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Monday filed a 737-page chargesheet in a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Srinagar, naming JKLF chief Yasin Malik and four others as key accused in the 1990 abduction and killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat.
Sarla Bhat, a nurse at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute for Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was abducted from her hostel by JKLF militants on April 14, 1990. Her bullet-riddled body was found five days later in old Srinagar city. The chargesheet, filed after a lengthy investigation, accuses Malik of conspiracy, abduction, and murder.
However, Sarla Bhat’s family expressed disappointment, stating that the chargesheet has come too late. "What's the point now? We have waited over three decades for justice. The filing of the chargesheet does little to ease the pain of losing our loved one," a family member said.
The case is one of several involving the abduction and killing of Kashmiri Pandits during the early 1990s, a period marked by the rise of militancy in the Kashmir Valley. Malik, who is currently serving a life sentence in a separate terror funding case, has been implicated in multiple cases related to the targeting of Kashmiri Pandits.
The court is expected to take cognisance of the chargesheet and proceed with the next steps in the legal process. The SIA has emphasised its commitment to ensuring justice, but the delay has raised questions about the efficiency of the investigation.
