Terrorists who killed a retired judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo, over three decades ago in Srinagar, will have to face the trial as the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has reopened the inquiry into the case and sought the public’s help in tracing them.

In a statement J&K, released late night SIA, appealed to the public to come forward and share accounts of events to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the murder.

The agency said it was relying on any leads which could have a direct bearing on the case.

"In order to unearth the larger criminal conspiracy behind the murder of Retired Judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo three decades ago, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has appealed to all persons familiar with facts or circumstances of this murder case to come forward and share any account of events which has a direct or indirect bearing on the investigation of the instant case," read a statement from the SIA.

Neelkanth Ganjoo body lay on the road for hours (A newspaper clipping)

Neelkanth Ganjoo, a high court judge in Kashmir, was assassinated on November 4, 1989.

Three militants surrounded Ganjoo as he was in the Hari Singh Street market, a busy street in Srinagar, and shot him dead in broad daylight.

Ganjoo had confirmed the death sentence to Maqbool Bhat, an ideologue of the JKLF for the murder of a Bank official and Police man in Langet.

Bhat was ultimately hanged in Delhi’s Tihar jail after the Supreme Court confirmed his sentence.

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The news has sent a wave of hope among the Kashmiri Pandit community for justice. Scores of cases of targeted killings of both Hindus and Muslims remain unresolved and the killers are roaming free.