SIA reopens 1998 Wandhama massacre probe, steps up investigation into Kashmiri Pandit killings SRINAGAR: J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) has reopened the investigation into the 1998 Wandhama massacre of 23 people as part of a wider push to probe the killings of Kashmiri Pandits during the peak of militancy in the Valley.According to sources, SIA has also started a probe into the killings of prominent Kashmiri Pandit advocate-politician Tika Lal Taploo and Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo.On Jan 25, 1998, armed terrorists entered the homes of Kashmiri Pandit families in Wandhama village of Ganderbal district and gunned down 23 people. The case still remains unresolved, but SIA sources in said it will see “substantial progress soon”.Officials said SIA has undertaken a focused and comprehensive investigation into the decades-old cases to bring each of these to a logical conclusion in accordance with law. “Concerted efforts are being made to uncover the circumstances and conspiracies underlying these cases, establish credible evidence, and identify those responsible strictly on the basis of substantiated evidence and witness testimony,” said an official.Taploo, a prominent lawyer and then vice-president of J&K BJP, was shot dead near his residence in Srinagar in Sept 1989, in what among the first targeted killings of prominent Kashmiri Pandits as terrorism took roots in the Valley. Justice Ganjoo, who had sentenced JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat to death, was shot dead on Nov 4, 1989 in Srinagar.On Aug 12, SIA carried out searches at nine locations across J&K in connection with the killing of Kashmiri Pandit poet and writer Sarvanand Kaul Premi and his son by terrorists. Premi, 66, and his younger son Verinder were shot dead in Anantnag in south Kashmir on May 1, 1990, a day after they were abducted from their village. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesTheir bodies were later found hanging from a tree. Five days later, the grief-stricken Kaul family left Kashmir, never to return.Earlier on June 29, SIA filed a 737-page chargesheet in connection with the killing of Sarla Bhat, 27, a nurse at Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. She was abducted by terrorists from the SKIMS hostel on April 18, 1990, tortured and shot dead. Her bullet-riddled body was recovered the next day.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration BlowJaishankar Meets Putin In Moscow, India-Russia Trade Soars As Both Sides Target $100 Billion By 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada‘Watching Your Every Move’: Fresh Threat Letter Targets Kashmiri Pandits In J&KChennai Murder Mystery: Woman’s Remains Found on Tamil Nadu Express, Police Hunt Couple in Odisha123PhotostoriesSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wildBlood sugar running high despite cutting back on sweets? Doctors explain 5 nutrients that may help your body manage glucose better‘She believed in the old nuskhas’: Karisma Kapoor reveals her grandmother’s skincare secret that the Kapoor clan adoptedArchana Puran Singh’s son Aaryamann Sethi set to buy his first luxurious house; tells Parmeet, ‘Your son is becoming a man’Kiara Advani’s black velvet saree is proof that gothic glam looks better with a desi twistFrom water filters to kitchen bowls: 5 practical uses of coconut shell123Hot PicksTCS laptop monitoring softwareSchool holiday todayKPMG AustraliaTrump tariffIOB LBO recruitmentNEET UG 2026Parandur airportSIM card rulesNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingMumbai Auto Driver ProtestReservation Hatao AndolanKurukshetra MurderPunjab SIRCM VijayDelhi ITO AccidentChennai MurderGodhani Water Plant Gas LeakAmravati Hospital FireAston Martin Crash
SRINAGAR: J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) has reopened the investigation into the 1998 Wandhama massacre of 23 people as part of a wider push to probe the killings of Kashmiri Pandits during the peak of militancy in the Valley.According to sources, SIA has also started a probe into the killings of prominent Kashmiri Pandit advocate-politician Tika Lal Taploo and Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo.On Jan 25, 1998, armed terrorists entered the homes of Kashmiri Pandit families in Wandhama village of Ganderbal district and gunned down 23 people. The case still remains unresolved, but SIA sources in said it will see “substantial progress soon”.Officials said SIA has undertaken a focused and comprehensive investigation into the decades-old cases to bring each of these to a logical conclusion in accordance with law. “Concerted efforts are being made to uncover the circumstances and conspiracies underlying these cases, establish credible evidence, and identify those responsible strictly on the basis of substantiated evidence and witness testimony,” said an official.Taploo, a prominent lawyer and then vice-president of J&K BJP, was shot dead near his residence in Srinagar in Sept 1989, in what among the first targeted killings of prominent Kashmiri Pandits as terrorism took roots in the Valley. Justice Ganjoo, who had sentenced JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat to death, was shot dead on Nov 4, 1989 in Srinagar.On Aug 12, SIA carried out searches at nine locations across J&K in connection with the killing of Kashmiri Pandit poet and writer Sarvanand Kaul Premi and his son by terrorists. Premi, 66, and his younger son Verinder were shot dead in Anantnag in south Kashmir on May 1, 1990, a day after they were abducted from their village.
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Their bodies were later found hanging from a tree. Five days later, the grief-stricken Kaul family left Kashmir, never to return.Earlier on June 29, SIA filed a 737-page chargesheet in connection with the killing of Sarla Bhat, 27, a nurse at Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. She was abducted by terrorists from the SKIMS hostel on April 18, 1990, tortured and shot dead. Her bullet-riddled body was recovered the next day.