Archive · 12 Aug 2026
SIA raids locations in 1990 Sarwanand Premi killing probe
In 1990, a famous writer named Sarwanand Premi lived in Kashmir with his family.
He wrote poems and translated a holy book called the Bhagavad Gita into his language.
One night, three bad men with guns broke into his house and took him and his younger son away.
Their bodies were found hanging from a tree far from their home a couple of days later.
The bad men had hurt them very badly, which made people very sad and angry.
For more than 36 years, the people who did this terrible thing were never caught.
Now, a special police team called the SIA is looking at the case again.
The police searched several places this week and say they found new clues.
They hope these clues will help find the bad men and bring them to justice.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police raided several locations on Wednesday in its probe into the 1990 killing of Kashmiri Pandit writer Sarwanand Koul Premi.
Three armed militants forcibly entered Premi's home in Anantnag on the night of 29-30 April 1990, looted the family and took Premi and his younger son Virender away.
The bodies of father and son were found hanging from a tree about 20 km from their home on 1 May 1990, showing marks of torture such as broken bones, gouged eyes, nails hammered into foreheads, cigarette burns and gunshot wounds.
The case, initially registered by Anantnag District Police, has been transferred to the SIA, which says it has uncovered previously undisclosed details it calls a major breakthrough.
The development follows an SIA chargesheet naming jailed separatist leader Yasin Malik as the prime accused in the separate 1990 killing of nurse Sarla Bhat.
- Who
- Sarwanand Koul Premi, a Kashmiri Pandit writer, and his younger son Virender, who were abducted and killed; the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police is investigating.
- What
- The SIA raided several locations in its probe into the 1990 abduction and murder of Premi and his son, saying it has uncovered previously undisclosed details and achieved a major breakthrough.
- When
- The abduction took place on the night of 29-30 April 1990 and the bodies were found on 1 May 1990; the SIA raids occurred on Wednesday, more than 36 years later.
- Where
- Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir; the bodies were found about 20 km from the family home, and a related chargesheet was filed before a Srinagar court.
- Why
- To identify the perpetrators of the decades-old terror killing and bring them to justice.
- Victim
- Sarwanand Koul Premi, Kashmiri Pandit writer and translator of the Bhagavad Gita into Kashmiri
- Date of abduction
- Night of 29-30 April 1990
- Discovery of bodies
- 1 May 1990, hanging from a tree about 20 km from home
- Location
- Anantnag, Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir
- Investigating agency
- State Investigation Agency (SIA), Jammu and Kashmir Police
- Case history
- Initially registered by Anantnag District Police; recently transferred to the SIA
- Related case
- SIA filed a 737-page chargesheet naming Yasin Malik in the Sarla Bhat murder case
- Recognition
- J&K administration conferred a lifetime achievement award on Premi in 2022