In an era when terror cast its shadow over Kashmir, one man’s pen proved mightier than the gun. Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo, a fearless Kashmiri Pandit judge, presided over the trial of separatist leader Maqbool Bhat, the founder of the JKLF. With unwavering courage, Justice Ganjoo delivered the verdict that few dared to imagine—sentencing Bhat to the gallows for his crimes against India.

For this act of uncompromising justice, he became a marked man. Yet, Justice Ganjoo never bowed to fear. He carried on with dignity, upholding the law in a time when the law itself was under siege. On 4 November 1989, terrorists struck back—assassinating him in broad daylight near the High Court in Srinagar. But they could not erase his legacy.

Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo’s name lives on as the judge who stood tall against separatism, upheld India’s sovereignty, and paid with his life for truth and justice. His courage lit a path that no bullet could extinguish.

Let us remember him not just as a victim of terror, but as a hero who dared to deliver justice when it mattered most.