The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the Jail Superintendent of Tihar Prison to produce through video-conferencing, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist Yasin Malik, in the case related to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking death penalty for him.
Malik has been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with a terror funding case.
The Division Bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Shalinder Kaur listed the matter for further hearing on February 14, 2024.
Earlier on August 9, the separatist leader had appeared before the High Court via video conferencing from Tihar Jail.
Due to the non-availability of the division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anish Dayal, the matter was however adjourned.
The production warrants were earlier issued against Malik, who has been awarded life sentence in the case. On August 4, the Bench had modified the order and allowed him to appear via VC.
The separatist leader was produced before the court via video after the court allowed an urgent application moved by Tihar jail authorities to produce Malik through video conferencing citing “heavy security issue” in producing him physically.
The Special NIA court had sentenced Malik to life imprisonment in May last year. The leader had pleaded guilty in the case and did not contest to the charges against him.
Special Judge Praveen Singh, while awarding him life sentence, had observed that the crime failed the test of rarest of rare case as held by the Apex Court.
The submission by the separatist leader that he had followed Gandhian principle of non violence and was spearheading a peaceful non violent struggle were outrightly rejected by the judge.
The charges framed against Malik and various others were under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Others who were charged and tried in the case 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.
The Court had discharged three men namely Kamran Yusuf, Javed Ahmad Bhatt and Syeda Aasiya Firdous Andrabi in the case.