JKLF Chief Yasin Malik Sentenced Life Imprisonment by NIA Court

Srinagar 25 May (KDC): After being convicted in a militant funding case on May 19, a Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday pronounced life imprisonment punishment to Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief and Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik.

Malik was brought to Patiala House Court in New Delhi amid tight security in the morning and after hearing the arguments, Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment and Rs. 10,000 fine by the Special NIA Judge Parveen Singh, as per news agency Kashmir Dot Com.

NIA, before the verdict on Malik’s sentencing was delayed by a few hours by the court, had demanded death penalty for the JKLF chief under section 121 of the IPC.

Before being sentenced, Yasin Malik had said that he had been following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi post relinquishing of arms in 1994.

Earlier, the court had slated May 25 to give verdict on Malik’s punishment after hearing arguments by keeping in view offences levelled against him.

Malik had pleaded guilty in his last hearing and had also left his lawyer from appearing for his case in the court. He was convicted by NIA Court under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and “criminal” conspiracy.

After the court had decided to pronounce punishment for Malik on May 25, his spouse Mushaal Hussein Mullick along with 10-year-old daughter were appealing for Malik’s release from the confinement.

Meanwhile, as the sentence was yet to be announced, a handful of protesters assembled outside the Malik’s residence in Srinagar’s Maisuma who resorted to stone-pelting, which was stemmed by the deployed law enforcement agency effectively. (KDC)