JAMMU: State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police has requested public assistance to reinvestigate the murder of High Court judge Neelkanth Ganjoo, who was slain on November 4, 1989, by suspected terrorists after an almost 34-year wait.Although the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was given the blame by security forces, no arrests were made at the time. To uncover the bigger criminal scheme that underpinned the murder, the SIA solicited information from the general public. Maqbool Bhat, the founder of the JKLF, was given the death penalty by Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo in the 1968 case of the murder of CID inspector Amar Chand and a civilian. In 1982, the Supreme Court upheld this judgement. On February 11, 1984, Maqbool Bhat was later hanged in Tihar Jail for the kidnapping and murder of Indian diplomat Ravinder Mhatre in London. Later, Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo was among the prominent Kashmiri Pandits the terrorists targeted when he was shot dead by them in November 1989. The SIA has now issued an appeal for anyone with knowledge of the facts or circumstances surrounding the murder of Neelkanth Ganjoo to come forward and provide any account of events that has a direct or indirect bearing on the investigation of the murder case in order to reopen the investigations and uncover a larger criminal conspiracy.The communiqué states that “identity of all such persons shall be kept completely hidden and protected in addition to all useful and relevant information shall be duly rewarded.” According to a spokeswoman, anyone with pertinent information about this murder investigation is urged to call 8899004976 or send an email to sspsia-kmr@jkpolice.gov.in.
