NIA Requests Private Hearing From Delhi High Court In Plea Seeking Death Penalty For Yasin Malik

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to hold private hearings in its appeal seeking death penalty for Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik in a terror funding case.

The request was made by NIA SPP Akshai Malik before a division bench comprising Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Manoj Jain.

Malik requested that the proceedings be heard on a private link which is not accessible to all, emphasising it to be not conducted in an open court.

“We will consider,” the Court said on the request.

Yasin Malik was appearing from the Tihar Jail through video conferencing. He is representing himself in the matter.

NIA sought time to respond to Malik's response to the appeal, saying that it is long and is under consideration.

Yasin Malik, on the other hand, requested for a short date saying that the matter is pending since last three years.

The matter is now listed for hearing on January 28.

Responding to the plea, Malik said that he had "working relationship" with six consecutive governments since 1990, headed by then Prime Ministers VP Singh, Chandra Shekhar, PV Narsimha Rao, HG Devagauda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

Yasin claimed he was engaged for dialog on issues pertaining to Kashmir and regional stability, security, progress and peace. "I was actively roped in time and again by the said governments in power and was actively persuaded to speak on international platforms," he said.

Malik was awarded life sentence in the case by the trial court in May 2022. He had pleaded guilty in the case and did not contest the charges against him.

While awarding Malik a life sentence, the Special Judge had observed that the crime failed the test of the rarest of rare cases as held by the Apex Court.

The judge had also rejected Malik's submission that he had followed the Gandhian principle of non-violence and was spearheading a peaceful non-violent struggle.

The court had framed charges against Malik and various others under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in the case, in March 2022.

Others who were charged and claimed trial were Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Salahuddin, Rashid Engineer, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah @ Fantoosh, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate.

However, the Court had discharged three men namely Kamran Yusuf, Javed Ahmad Bhatt and Syeda Aasiya Firdous Andrabi.

Title: NIA v. Yasin Malik