SRINAGAR: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik over the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) plea seeking a death sentence for him in a terror funding case, according to multiple media reports.
A bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Shalinder Kaur directed Malik to file his reply within four weeks, listing the matter for hearing on November 10.
Special counsel for NIA, Advocate Akshai Malik, cited an earlier order dated August 9, 2024, in which Malik had opted to represent himself and appear virtually due to security concerns. The court noted that Malik did not appear virtually today and directed his virtual presence at the next hearing.
Malik, serving a life sentence awarded by a trial court in May 2022, had pleaded guilty to the charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The trial court had ruled the offence did not qualify as the “rarest of rare” case warranting the death penalty, and dismissed Malik’s claim of leading a Gandhian, non-violent struggle.
Alongside Malik, charges were framed in March 2022 against several others, including Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Salahuddin, Rashid Engineer, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah alias Fantoosh, Nayeem Khan, and Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate. Three accused Kamran Yusuf, Javed Ahmad Bhatt, and Syeda Aasiya Andrabi were discharged.
