The book also reveals a compelling portrait of Mirza Hamid Iqbal, a counter-intelligence officer in the J&K Police whose father was defended in court by Pakistan’s founder MA Jinnah during his trip to Kashmir before 1947. Attacks heralded the beginning of militancy in 1989.

An example of this is the killing of Sher Khan, leader of the Al-Umar group, in an encounter, after he was released in exchange for Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of Union Minister Mufti Sayeed.

Information about Sher Khan’s whereabouts came from a father whose two daughters were raped by militants. “Our reporter kicked the terrorist’s body (after he was killed)—some say he danced,” writes Sabharwal.

Another interesting anecdote relates to the 1995 massacre in Srinagar’s Hawal district involving CRPF soldiers accused of indiscriminately firing at mourners of slain Hurriyat leader Moulvi Farooq, resulting in the deaths of 70 people.

Sabharwal explained that he initially decided to allow mourners to take the funeral procession from Soura Hospital to the Mirwaiz’s ancestral residence in downtown Srinagar. “But Jagmohan’s habit of not listening led him to overrule my decision,” he writes, adding that the controversial former J&K governor ordered the CRPF to stop the march “at any cost”.