4 November,1989: When Kashmiri Hindu, Judge Neel Kanth Ganjoo was shot dead by terrorists in Kashmir
04 Nov 2023 13:46:26
History has seen countless incidents. Human memory forgets grief with time but time never forgets. It keeps updating but keeps record of everything with date. We may not remember what pain the date tells but history has all.
4th November, yes it is just a date, a date of injustice and helplessness as it tells us the story of stains of country’s past. Kashmir which has headed towards development now has many stories of past to tell and one of them is of today. Yes, 4th November 1989, it’s the date when The honorable Mr. Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo, judge of JK high court was brutally assassinated for his courageous effort at that time. Ganjoo, a judge and prominent Kashmiri Hindu had earlier given death sentence to JKLF terrorist and founder Maqbool Bhat.
On 4 November 1989, 3 JKLF terrorists shot him dead in broad daylight in the Hari Singh Street market near the High Court in Srinagar as he had presided over the Amar Chand murder trial, and declared sentence of death on Maqbool Bhat in August 1968. The JKLF had meticulously executed this murder scripted by ISI and their spokesman later officially acknowledged that the killing was done to avenge the judge’s role in the death sentence of Maqbool Bhat.He was killed as he raised a voice against inhuman and separatist forces and for years we saw things happening.
Ganjoo is still seen as a shaheed among the Kashmiri Hindus with a hope that they will be able to return to their homeland. Many people like him who were killed had their respective stories.
Nearly 34 years after retired judge Neelkanth Ganjoo was shot by terrorists, the Jammu and Kashmir’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) in August, 2023 sought information from the general public to unearth the “larger criminal conspiracy” behind the killing.
“In order to unearth the larger criminal conspiracy behind the murder of retired judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo three decades ago, the State Investigation Agency (SIA), through a communique, has appealed to all persons familiar with facts or circumstances of this murder case to come forward and share any account of events which has a direct or indirect bearing on the investigation of the instant case,” the agency said.
Ganjoo’s grand daughter reacted to the announcement. On social media platform X, she wrote: "Even though this reopens wounds, we welcome the news."
"Justice for all martyrs including my beloved grandfather Justice NeelKanth Ganjoo, who became victims of senseless killing because of their faith is long overdue," she added.