Archive · 14 Dec 2025
DNA Test Sought in 1990 Kashmiri Pandit Murder
A long time ago, in 1990, a nurse named Sarla Bhat was kidnapped and killed in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Her body was found the next day with signs of torture and a note saying she was a police informant.
The case was never solved, but now the police are trying to use DNA testing to find out who did it.
They have also arrested two former separatist leaders for a different case from the same time.
Some people are worried about these arrests, but the government says they are trying to bring justice to old cases.
The police are also helping families of victims by giving them jobs and trying to return seized properties.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are considering DNA analysis to solve the 1990 murder case of Sarla Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit nurse.
Bhat was abducted from her hostel on April 18, 1990, and her bullet-riddled body was found the next day in downtown Srinagar.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) took over the probe in 2024 and conducted raids linked to former members of the JKLF.
Recent arrests include Javed Ahmad Mir and Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi for a 1996 case involving rioting and mob violence.
Critics express concern over the arrests, while officials emphasize evidence-based pursuits to uphold the rule of law.
- Who
- Sarla Bhat, a 27-year-old Kashmiri Pandit nurse, was abducted and murdered in 1990.
- What
- Authorities are considering DNA analysis to solve the cold case and have made recent arrests in related cases.
- When
- The abduction occurred on April 18, 1990, and the body was found the next day. Recent arrests were made in December 2023.
- Where
- The incident took place in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
- Why
- The case is being reopened as part of a broader effort to resolve militancy-era cases and deliver justice to victims' families.
- Victim
- Sarla Bhat, 27-year-old nurse
- Date of Abduction
- April 18, 1990
- Location of Abduction
- Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
- FIR Number
- FIR No. 56/1990
- Investigating Agency
- State Investigation Agency (SIA)
- Suspected Group
- Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)
- Recent Arrests
- Javed Ahmad Mir, Shakeel Ahmad Bakshi
- Case Number for Arrests
- FIR No. 192/1996