Yasin Malik convicted in terror funding case; sentence to be pronounced on May 25

New Delhi, May 19:  In a major blow to Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik, the Special NIA Court in Delhi has convicted terrorist in connection with terrorism and secessionist activities that disturbed the Kashmir Valley in 2017.

 

The court said it will begin hearing arguments on May 25 for deciding on the quantum of the sentence for Yasin Malik. Special Judge Praveen Singh will hear the arguments regarding the quantum of sentence for the offences levelled against Malik. Malik is expected to get life imprisonment.

 

Earlier, the J&K separatist leader had pleaded guilty to charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

 

 

Malik was charged under Section 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He reportedly didn't objected to the charges before the court.

 

 

According to the chargesheet filed in connection with the case, the charges were also filed against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

 

Besides Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, former MLA Rashid Engineer, businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Avatar Ahmad Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, alias Peer Saifullah and others have also been charged by the court.

 

 

Malik was one of the terrorists who killed four unarmed Indian Air Force (IAF) officials in 1990 in Srinagar. Malik is also accused of kidnapping former Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammed Saeed’s daughter Rubiya Saeed in 1989. He is also allegedly involved in the killing of Justice Neelkanth Ganju, the judge who had ordered the death sentence for JKLF terrorist Maqbool Bhatt, and former director of Doordarshan Kendra in Srinagar, Lassa Kaul.

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