Sanjay Sharma murder case: SIA Kashmir files chargesheet against 12 terrorist accused

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) Kashmir has filed a comprehensive chargesheet against 12 persons in the brutal murder of Sanjay Sharma, a member of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

An official statement on Saturday said the crime took place on February 26, 2023, in Achchan Pulwama and the subsequent investigation revealed a wider conspiracy originating from across the border. “The objective was to disrupt the restoration of peace and communal harmony in the Valley, the killing of an innocent person from the minority community was used to promote communal disharmony and perpetuate terrorism,” it said.

The case was initially registered at Police Station Littoral Pulwama and later transferred to SIA Kashmir for special investigation. After taking over the case, SIA Kashmir conducted extensive searches across South Kashmir, locating physical and technical evidence.

“This evidence exposed the involvement of the accused persons in the crime, including providing logistical support, harboring the accused and concealing evidence,” the agency said.

During the investigation, the SIA conducted five rounds of extensive searches at 32 locations across the Valley, during which mobile devices, bank documents and a pistol magazine and live cartridges were seized.

Eight of the 13 accused, including three juveniles, are currently in judicial custody. The accused, Jajim Farooq Wani, Danish Hamid Thokar and Ubaid Ahmed Paddar, were killed in an encounter with security forces. Zafar Hussain Bhat alias Khurshid Kashmiri and Khalid Kamran alias one person are absconding.

“The investigation revealed that the accused persons were acting on the instructions of cross-border terror handlers, maintaining communication through encrypted online messaging platforms. Notably, the trigger puller, Jajim Farooq Wani, had received weapon handling training from Nasir Farooq Shah on the instructions of Pakistani handler Kamran,” the statement said.