NB Twitter Scan | After 34 yrs, Govt to reopen cases of Kashmiri Hindu genocide; first case to be of Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo killing
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Srinagar, Aug 8: To unearth “the larger conspiracy behind the murder of Retired Judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo” that happened over 30 years ago, the State Investigative Agency of Jammu and Kashmir Police Monday sought information from the general public to reinvestigate the case.
In a communique, the SIA appealed to all persons familiar with the facts or circumstances of the Ganjoo murder case “to come forward and share any account of events which has direct or indirect bearing on the investigation of the instant case”.
The SIA has also said the identity of all such persons shall be kept hidden and protected besides all useful and relevant information shall be suitably rewarded. The public has been asked to contact on 8899004976 or on email sspsia-kmr@jkpolice.gov.infor having any information related to this murder case.
In May this year, the SIA made arrests in another case dating back to 1990. Almost 33 years after unidentified militants barged into Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq’s home at Srinagar’s Nigeen area and shot him dead, the J&K Police claimed to have arrested two people suspected to have been involved in the murder.
How was Retired Judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo, a Kashmiri Pandit murdered?
In the late 1960s, as a sessions court judge, he had presided over the trial of JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat in the murder of police inspector Amar Chand in 1966. In August 1968, he sentenced Bhat and one other to death. This sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1982.
On 4 November 1989, three JKLF terrorists surrounded Ganjoo as he was in the Hari Singh Street market and shot him dead near the High Court in Srinagar. He was killed in broad daylight and was shot from close range.
This is how history will be written.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 7, 2023
5th Feb 1984: Indian Diplomat Ravindra Mahtre killed in Birmingham, UK by JKLF terrorists.
11th Feb 1984: India hangs JKLF terrorist Maqbool Butt.
4th Nov 1989: JKLF terrorist Yasin Malik kills Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo for ordering… pic.twitter.com/rKfnBPkdCM
As per reports, his body lied on the road for some time because a diktat was issued by the JKLF not to move it and people did not move it out of scare and followed the diktat. The announcement on Radio Kashmir sent shockwaves across the nation.
Yasin Malik in an interview on BBC’s Hard Talk with Tim Sebastian confessed to killing Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo on 4th Nov 1989. Watch video. Most crucial evidence.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 8, 2023
This is open and shut case.
Investigate. Fast trial. Hang Yasin Malik until death.
pic.twitter.com/st9DhPZXwr
This marked the second murder of a prominent Kashmiri Pandit in a short time, following the murder of BJP leader Tika Lal Taploo in September. The fear was palpable, and it signaled a dark time for Kashmiri Pandits.
Who was Maqbool Bhat?
The co-founder of National Liberation Front (NFL), a precursor to the JKLF, he carried out terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. His criminal life began during his college days and continued after moving to Pakistan. His dedication to “liberating” Kashmir led him to various crimes, including kidnapping and hijacking. He was responsible for the death of CID officer Amar Chand and Indian diplomat Ravindra Mahatre.
However, Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo’s fearless decision in September 1968 to convict Bhat led to his death sentence. Bhat’s hanging on February 11, 1984, was a landmark moment in the fight against terror.