Who is Bitta Karate and why the case against him by Satish Tickoo’s family?

New Delhi: A fortnight after the humongous success of movie, the ‘real’ Kashmir Files is set to open with law taking its right course against the perpetrators & murderers of Kashmir Pandits during the 1990s.

The memory of suffering, killing & being thrown out of homes continues to haunt the Kashmiri Pandits, even after 32 years of massacre.

As the movie recounts the horrific killings of a particular community, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate has come under fresh focus and is set to face murder trial. Bitta was the person who killed Satish Tickoo, a local businessman & his friend was the first person that he killed.

Who is murderer Bitta Karate?

Satish Tickoo’s family filed a criminal application against Kashmiri terrorist Bitta Karate in the Srinagar Sessions court, the hearing of which began today.

The counsel for Tickoo’s family has demanded status reports of all FIRs lodged against Karate, who is currently heading the separatist group Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Karate engaged in mindless killing of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley during 1990s and was captured by security forces in June that year. A year later, he admitted on camera that he murdered more than 40 Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.

He remained in jail from 1990 to 2006 on terrorism-related charge. However, he got indefinite bail and was roaming free until arrested again in 2019 on charges of financial terrorism.

Bitta was born on January 1, 1972 in Srinagar in a business family. But, he left home and became a dreaded terrorist in early 20s. He also admitted that he had crossed over to Pakistan to receive arms training.

After 32-day training by Pakistani military, he returned to Jammu & Kashmir and started operations as a JKLF agent & militant.

Karata’s first victim, as admitted by him, was his close friend and local businessman Satish Kumar Tickoo, whom he killed in front of the latter’s house.