The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has reopened the investigation into the 1998 Wandhama massacre in Ganderbal, nearly three decades after 23 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in one of the major targeted attacks during the period of militancy in the Kashmir Valley. The renewed investigation is part of a broader effort to revisit long-pending cases involving the killings of Kashmiri Pandits and identify those responsible.
The Wandhama massacre took place on the intervening night of January 25 and 26, 1998, when armed militants entered Wandhama village in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The attackers reportedly gathered members of Kashmiri Pandit families at one location before opening fire. Twenty-three people were killed, including nine women and four children. The victims belonged to families who had remained in the Valley despite the migration of many Kashmiri Pandits during the early years of militancy.
The reopening of the case reflects the SIA’s renewed focus on unresolved cases linked to targeted killings during the height of militancy. Officials have said the investigation will seek to gather fresh evidence, establish the circumstances surrounding the killings and identify the perpetrators and those who may have assisted them.
The Wandhama case is not the only old case being examined by the agency. The SIA has also reopened investigations into the killings of Kashmiri Pandit figures, including writer and social worker Sarwanand Koul Premi and BJP leader Tika Lal Taploo. The agency has previously taken up other cases involving targeted killings in the Valley, including the killing of former judge Neelkanth Ganjoo and nurse Sarla Bhat.
The renewed investigation comes alongside intensified security and investigative activity in Jammu and Kashmir. The SIA has conducted searches at multiple locations as part of its investigations into older terror-related cases. Security measures have also been strengthened in parts of the Valley amid reported threats to members of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
The Wandhama massacre remains a significant case in the history of targeted violence against Kashmiri Pandits. Its reopening nearly 28 years after the killings is expected to place renewed focus on the evidence surrounding the attack and the identities of those involved. Authorities are now seeking to advance the investigation through fresh evidence and witness testimony while pursuing the cases on their legal merits.
The latest move signals a broader push by the Jammu and Kashmir authorities to revisit unresolved cases from the militancy period. For families of victims, the renewed investigations could provide an opportunity to establish greater clarity about long-standing cases and potentially bring the perpetrators to justice.