The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has reopened the investigation into the 1998 Wandhama massacre, in which 23 Kashmiri Pandits, including nine women and four children, were killed in Ganderbal.
According to sources, the agency has conducted searches at several locations across the Kashmir Valley as part of efforts to collect fresh evidence and revisit the circumstances surrounding the killings. Investigators are examining old records, suspects and the alleged roles of people connected to the attack.
The Wandhama massacre took place on the night of January 25, 1998, in Wandhama village, a day before Republic Day. Armed terrorists allegedly entered the homes of Kashmiri Pandit families and carried out the killings. The attack also took place on the night of Shab-e-Qadr during Ramadan.
The case remained unresolved for decades. The decision to reopen the investigation comes as the SIA examines a number of old cases involving targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits during the period of terrorism in the Valley.
The agency is also revisiting the killings of Kashmiri Pandit leader Tika Lal Taploo and former Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo. Searches have reportedly been carried out in connection with the Taploo case, while the investigation into Justice Ganjoo’s killing has also been intensified.
A key focus of the fresh investigations is identifying the terrorists allegedly involved in these attacks and establishing the role of overground workers who may have assisted them. Investigators are expected to examine evidence that may help establish how the attacks were planned and carried out.
The SIA had earlier reopened the 1990 murder case of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. In June, the agency filed a 737-page chargesheet in the case, naming jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik as the alleged mastermind behind the killing.
Other cases involving the killings of Kashmiri Pandit writer Sarwanand Kaul Premi and his son Virendra Kaul have also been under investigation. The renewed action across these cases reflects a broader attempt by the agency to revisit cases that remained pending for years.
The reopening of the Wandhama case is significant because the massacre remains one of the most serious attacks on Kashmiri Pandit families during the height of militancy in the Valley. Establishing the identities and roles of those responsible has remained a long-standing issue for investigators and the affected community.
The SIA’s searches and review of earlier evidence are expected to determine whether fresh leads can help move the investigation forward. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the specific findings from the latest searches.
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