SIA Files Chargesheet Against Yasin Malik in 1990 Nurse Murder Case
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Monday filed a detailed 737-page chargesheet naming banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik as the key accused in the kidnapping and brutal killing of young Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat by terrorists in April 1990. The agency described this as a “historic milestone” in the pursuit of justice for victims of terrorism.
Bhat, working as a nurse at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, went missing on April 3, 1990. Her body was found the next day in downtown Srinagar, several kilometers away. The case remained unsolved for decades until the SIA reopened it after being handed over in March 2024.
Five Accused Named in Chargesheet
Besides Malik, who was the self-styled commander-in-chief of the JKLF terrorist outfit at that time, four accomplices have also been named: Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Ghulam Mohammad Taploo, and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi. Chalkoo is believed to be living in Pakistan after exfiltrating from Kashmir. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), 1987, and the Indian Arms Act, 1959.
According to the SIA spokesperson, legal proceedings, including proclamation proceedings, have been initiated against absconding terrorist Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, described as the man who pulled the trigger. Three other accused—Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi alias Idrees, and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo—are deceased. Malik is currently in judicial custody in another case.
Historic Milestone in Legacy Terror Crimes
In a statement, the SIA said time can never become a shield for terrorism and those responsible for atrocities will continue to remain answerable before the law. The spokesperson emphasized that the chargesheet sends a powerful message that no matter how many years have elapsed, terrorists cannot escape justice.
The investigation revealed the involvement of Malik, then Chief Commander of JKLF, along with the other accused in planning and executing the abduction and brutal killing. The SIA conducted raids at several places over the past two years to compile the chargesheet, which includes oral, documentary, forensic, ballistic, medical, and electronic evidence accumulated over decades.
Charges Under TADA and Indian Arms Act
The chargesheet establishes offences punishable under Sections 364 (kidnapping), 341 (wrongful restraint), 302 (murder) read with 34 (common intention), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), corresponding to the Indian Penal Code. Additionally, charges under Sections 3(2), 3(3), 4, and 6 of TADA, 1987, and Sections 7 and 27 of the Indian Arms Act, 1959, have been invoked.
The case demonstrates that while terrorism may delay justice through fear, intimidation, and violence, it can never permanently defeat the rule of law, the SIA spokesperson added.
