The murder trial of Bitta Karate, accused of killing almost 42 Kashmiri Pandits during militancy in 1990, will be heard in Srinagar sessions court after 31 years. After victim Satish Tickoo’s family moved the court, the hearing will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Following the release of the film ‘The Kashmir Files,’ several victims and their families who were affected by the departure of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 have come forward to recount their tragedy. Chinmay Mandlekar, who acknowledged to killing “more than 20” Kashmiri Pandits or “perhaps more than 30-40” in 1990, plays Bitta Karate or Farooq Ahmed Dar in the film.

Through an advocate, the murder trial of Karate has been moved from the family members of victim Satish Tickoo. Utsav Bains and supported by activist Vikas Raina. Tickoo was a local businessman and a close friend Dar. “Satish Kumar Tickoo was the first guy I killed,” Karate stated in a camera interview in 1991. I received orders from upstairs to assassinate him. He was a Hindu adolescent.”

He’s been free for years and is the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the group responsible for the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits. He is said to have commanded the genocide in the 1990s and was the JKLF’s number one hitman until his capture in June 1990.