Yasin Malik in Court Hearing: Atal Bihari Vajpayee Allotted Passport To Me

Malik, who is awaiting the quantum of punishment for the offences in the case, was presented before the special NIA judge of Patiala House Court amid tight security.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday sentenced separatist leader and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, to life imprisonment. Malik had earlier pleaded guilty to all the charges including those under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), in a terror funding case. During the hearing, the Jammu and Kashmir separatist had said that he was allotted passport by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and India allowed him to make a statement because he was not a criminal.

On the demand by NIA for the death penalty to the separatist leader, Malik said, “I will not beg for anything. The case is before this court and I left on the court to decide it.”

Yasin Malik Case: What We Know So Far

Malik, who was awaiting the quantum of punishment for the offences in the case, was presented before the special NIA judge of Patiala House Court amid tight security.

The court had also directed the NIA authorities to assess his financial situation in connection with the terror funding case prior to Wednesday’s hearing.

He is facing a maximum punishment of the death penalty, while the minimum sentence can be life imprisonment in the cases in which he is involved.

Malik has been charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, other unlawful activities, and disturbing peace in Kashmir.

He had pleaded guilty in the matter. On the last date of the hearing, he told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him, including section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being member of a terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.

The present case is related to the various terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul-Mujahideen, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, and Jaish-e-Mohammed backed by the Islamic State perpetrating terrorist and secessionist activities to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.