Archive · 26 Aug 2026
Jammu and Kashmir Reopens 1998 Wandhama Massacre Investigation
In 1998, 23 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in the village of Wandhama in Kashmir.
The attack happened on the night before India’s Republic Day.
According to the article, gunmen wearing Army-style clothing entered homes and opened fire.
Four children and many adults were among those killed.
One 14-year-old boy survived by hiding.
The attackers also reportedly burned homes and damaged temples.
The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency has reopened the case many years later.
Investigators are looking for new evidence and people who may have helped the attackers.
They say anyone responsible should be prosecuted based on evidence and witness statements.
The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency has reopened its inquiry into the 1998 Wandhama massacre.
Twenty-three Kashmiri Pandits, including nine women, nine men and four children, were killed on January 25, 1998.
Investigators are examining evidence, digital devices, financial links and possible local aides connected to the attack.
Authorities previously attributed the massacre to foreign militants linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and local terrorists.
The agency has also revisited killings involving Neelkanth Ganjoo, Tika Lal Taploo, Sarla Bhat, and Sarwanand Koul Premi and his son.
- Who
- Twenty-three Kashmiri Pandits were killed; the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency is investigating the case.
- What
- The agency reopened its inquiry into the Wandhama massacre and related targeted killings.
- When
- The massacre occurred overnight on January 25, 1998; the inquiry was reopened after 28 years, according to the article.
- Where
- Wandhama in the Ganderbal region of central Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir.
- Why
- The investigation aims to find new evidence, identify perpetrators and possible collaborators, and bring the cases to a legal conclusion.
- Victims
- Twenty-three Kashmiri Pandits: nine women, nine men and four children.
- Date of massacre
- Overnight on January 25, 1998, during Shab-e-Qadr and before India’s Republic Day.
- Location
- Wandhama, in the Ganderbal region of central Kashmir.
- Survivor
- Fourteen-year-old Vinod Kumar Dhar survived by hiding during the attack.
- Earlier attribution
- Police attributed the attack to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba; defense officials also referred to foreign militants assisted by local terrorists.
- Current investigation
- The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency is examining witness accounts, digital devices, financial information and historical records.
- Related cases
- The agency is also investigating killings involving Neelkanth Ganjoo, Tika Lal Taploo, Sarla Bhat, and Sarwanand Koul Premi and Virender Koul.