Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said investigations into dozens of terror-related cases that were previously closed due to lack of evidence have been reopened, vowing to deliver justice to the long-neglected victims of terrorism in the Union Territory.
Among the cases now being re-examined are the 1989 assassination of retired Kashmiri Pandit judge Neelkanth Ganjoo and the brutal killing of 23 Kashmiri Pandits in Wandhama, Ganderbal, in January 1998.
“Justice will be delivered to every victim of terrorism,” Sinha said while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function in Baramulla. “Acts of terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law. FIRs will be registered in pending cases, and seized properties will be returned to the rightful owners.”
The LG criticised decades of silence over the plight of terror victims in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that their stories were deliberately buried to promote a distorted narrative.
“The truth about the families of terror victims was deliberately suppressed. Everyone knew Pakistan-backed terrorists were behind these brutal killings, but no one provided justice to thousands of elderly parents, wives, brothers, or sisters,” Sinha said.
He accused “conflict entrepreneurs” of hijacking the narrative for years, portraying terrorists as victims and India as the aggressor. “This false narrative has been completely demolished. The real victims of terrorism have now exposed Pakistan, terror outfits, and the conflict entrepreneurs,” he said.
Sinha also warned those who, he alleged, are still promoting narratives crafted by Pakistan and terror groups. “I warn the conflict entrepreneurs to stop spreading narratives that harm the sovereignty and integrity of the country. By propagating the agenda of terror outfits, they are disrupting the peace established with blood and sweat,” he said.
He reassured that the administration is committed not just to legal justice but also to social and economic support for terror-affected families. “Those who are eligible and haven’t received help will be supported through job appointments and self-employment schemes,” he said.
In a strong message against misuse of government resources, Sinha said the era when families of dreaded terrorists received jobs and benefits is over. “We are identifying such elements and removing them from government jobs. Only genuine victims of terrorism will be rehabilitated,” he asserted.
The L-G concluded by stating that those who continue to operate at the behest of Pakistan and support the terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir will face strict legal action. “We will realise the dream of a terrorism-free J&K,” he asserted.