Delhi High Court issues notice to Yasin Malik on NIA’s plea for death penalty
New Delhi (IANS) | The Delhi High Court has sent notice to Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik in connection with a plea by the NIA seeking death penalty against him in a terror funding case. Appealing for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta argued that this was the rarest of rare case.
Copy of the detailed order is awaited.
The High Court has also sought the Law Commission’s recommendations on the death penalty for Yasin.
A special NIA court had in May 2022 sentenced Malik to life imprisonment in a 2017 terror funding case.
Special Judge Praveen Singh awarded the sentence under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which will run for life.
Last year, the sentence in the terror funding case was pronounced in the Patiala House Court amid tight security.
During a trial court hearing last year, Malik had said, “I will not beg for anything.” The matter is before this court and I leave it to the court to decide.
He had told the court, “If I have been involved in any terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, if Indian intelligence proves it, I will also retire from politics.” I will accept the death sentence.. I have worked with seven Prime Ministers.
The NIA had told the court during the hearing that the accused was responsible for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. The probe agency had also argued for death penalty for Malik.
On the other hand, the amicus curiae sought life imprisonment as the minimum punishment in the case.
Malik had earlier confessed his crime in this case. In the last hearing, he told the court that he was under sections 16 (terrorist activity), 17 (raising funds for terrorist activities), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being a member of a terrorist gang or organization) of the UAPA and Indian Will not challenge the charges leveled against him under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Penal Code.
–IANS
