Neelkanth Ganjoo (1922-1989) was an Indian judge who served in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 1968, he was sentenced to death in the murder case against J&K Liberation Front founder and leader Maqbool Bhat. Ganju was assassinated by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorists in Srinagar on November 4, 1989.
Wiki/Biography
Neelkanth Ganjoo was born on Thursday, February 16, 1922, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India (age 67 at time of death). His zodiac sign is Aquarius. After completing his studies, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in law.
family
He was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family.
Parents and siblings
Little is known about his family.
wife and children
Neelkanth Ganjoo is married and has two sons, Vijay Kumar Ganjoo and SK Ganjoo, and a daughter, Urmila Raina.
Neelkanth Ganjoo Judge’s son Vijay Kumar Ganjoo
His granddaughter’s name is Swapna Raina and his grandson’s name is Anmol Ganjoo.
Swapna Raina, granddaughter of Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo
Profession
While serving as a district court judge in the late 1960s, Neelkanth Ganjoo oversaw the trial of J&K Liberation Front founder and leader Maqbool Bhat. The trial concerned the 1966 murder of police inspector Amar Chand. In August 1968, Bhat and another person were both sentenced to death under the jurisdiction of Neelkanth Ganjoo. This decision was later confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1982. Subsequently, Maqbool Bhat was executed on February 11, 1984 in Tihar Jail. Neelkanth Ganjoo completed his service in 1984 and retired.
death/murder
On November 4, 1989, Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo was shot dead by three Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorists in broad daylight at Hari Singh Street Market near Srinagar High Court. He was apparently murdered for his role in the Amar Chand murder trial. According to some sources, Justice Ganju was visiting the branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in Srinagar’s Hari Singh Street Market on November 4 when three militants surrounded Ganju and fired several shots at close range. Ganzhu died on the spot. After his murder, Radio Kashmir released a message:
Unidentified assailants shot dead a former judge at Maharaj Bazaar in Srinagar. “
Earlier, in April 1984, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorists planted a bomb at Ganju’s residence. However, Neilkant survived the attack.
Judge Ganzhu’s murder case reopened
Nearly 34 years after the incident, on August 8, 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir Police State Investigation Agency (SIA) took steps to re-investigate the case involving the 1989 murder of retired Kashmiri judge Neelkanth Ganjoo by militants murder case. SIA reached out to the public, urging them to come forward with information that could help uncover the larger criminal conspiracy behind Ganjoo’s murder. Through an official statement, the SIA issued an appeal to anyone with knowledge of the facts or circumstances surrounding the assassination of Justice Kanju. They are encouraging individuals to come forward and share any details that may directly or indirectly assist ongoing investigations. The statement further reads,
The identities of all such persons should be completely hidden and protected; all useful and relevant information should be appropriately rewarded. “
Facts/Trivia
- Justice Ganju’s death marks the second high-profile killing of a prominent Kashmiri Pandit in a short period of time. Previously, BJP leader Tika Lal Taploo was assassinated in September. Taplu’s murder became the first tragedy triggered by the Azad Kashmir movement, a chain of events that culminated in the forced migration of the Kashmiri Pandit community from the region.
- In an interview, Ganju’s son Vijay Kumar Ganju recalled that his father’s assassination was “devastating” for them. He said,
We left before 1990. Before the whole exodus happened, our family was attacked, my son was kidnapped…among many other things. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education