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The State Investigation Agency has filed a 737-page chargesheet naming banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik
June 29, 2026: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a 737-page chargesheet before a designated NIA court in Srinagar, naming banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik as the prime accused in the 1990 kidnapping and murder of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. The agency described the filing as a “historic milestone” in delivering justice to victims of terrorism. Bhat, who worked at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), was abducted in April 1990 and found dead a day later in downtown Srinagar.
Besides Malik, the chargesheet names Khursheed Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Ghulam Mohammad Taploo and Mohammad Yousuf Sofi. While three of the accused are deceased, Chalkoo is believed to be living in Pakistan, and legal proceedings have been initiated against him. Malik, who was the self-styled commander-in-chief of JKLF at the time, is currently in judicial custody in another case. The accused have been charged under multiple provisions of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA), the Ranbir Penal Code, and the Indian Arms Act.
The SIA said the case, reopened in 2024, was built using extensive oral, documentary, forensic, ballistic, medical and electronic evidence collected over decades. According to the agency, the investigation establishes a clear conspiracy behind the abduction and murder, adding that terrorism cannot escape accountability with the passage of time. Officials said the chargesheet sends a strong message that those responsible for terror-related crimes will continue to face the law, regardless of how many years have passed.