Why the Charge Sheet in Sarla Bhat's Killing Is a Milestone for J&K Police
UPSC-standard MCQs with explanations, trap analysis, and approach guide. Answer after the test — not before.
1
Easy
1
Medium
1
Hard
Practice this set
3 questions · full analysis after submission · no sign-up required
Article summary
The J&K Police filed a charge sheet in the 1990 killing of Sarla Bhat, a 27-year-old Kashmiri Pandit nurse, marking one of the first formal prosecutions for targeted killings of Pandits that accompanied the armed insurrection beginning in 1989. Sarla Bhat's murder was among the earliest and most symbolic acts of communal terror that precipitated the mass exodus of approximately 1–4 lakh Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley between 1989 and 1991. For over 35 years, the case remained uninvestigated, reflecting the institutional collapse of policing during peak militancy and the subsequent political reluctance to reopen wounds. The charge sheet is significant because it demonstrates that the post-Article 370 administrative restructuring of J&K has enabled investigative agencies to revisit cold cases with renewed institutional capacity and political will. For UPSC aspirants, this case sits at the intersection of internal security, minority rights, delayed justice, and the constitutional transformation of J&K — all live examination themes.
What this tests
Sample questions — answers revealed after test
Q1. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, which section replaced Section 173 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) that mandates police to file a 'police report' before the Magistrate upon completion of investigation?
Q2. A lawyer argues that the charge sheet filed against the accused in Sarla Bhat's 1990 murder case is time-barred because Indian law imposes limitation periods on criminal prosecution. Which of the following facts most directly refutes this argument?
Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the governance and legal framework of Jammu & Kashmir after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019: 1. J&K was converted into a Union Territory with a legislature, while Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature. 2. Police and public order, which are State List subjects under the Seventh Schedule, now fall under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor of J&K rather than an elected Chief Minister. 3. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), constituted under the NIA Act 2008, has jurisdiction over scheduled offences including terrorism-related cases under UAPA in J&K, concurrent with J&K Police. 4. The J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 also repealed the J&K Police Act 1983, replacing it with central police legislation applicable uniformly across Union Territories. How many of the above statements are correct?