A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu on Saturday charged Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik andsix others in the killing of four Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in Kashmir in 1990. The court said there was enough prima facie evidence to prosecute Malikin the case.

The other accused included Ali Mohammad Mir, Manzoor Ahmed Sofialias Mustafa, Javed Ahmed Mir alias Nalka, Nana ji alias Saleem, Javed AhmedZargar and Showkat Ahmed Bakshi. All six were charged for the attempt to killthe IAF personnel.

“Besides prosecution witnesses, sufficient grounds exist indrawing the presumption that the accused prima facie have committed officersunder Sections 302, 307 RPC, Section 3(3) and Section 4(1) of TADA Act 1987 andSection 7/26 of Arms Act 1959 read with Section 120-B of Ranbir Penal Code,”the order by Special NIA judge Subhash Gupta stated.

The judge has also directed the jail superintendents toproduce both the accused — Yasin Malik and Showkat Ahmed Bakshi — through videoconferencing on March 16. Apart from Nana ji alias Saleem, who was exemptedfrom personal appearance today, the other accused in the case were present incourt and were directed to be present for the next hearing as well.

The JKLF leader is under trial for the alleged killing offour IAF personnel in January 1990 and for kidnapping Rubaiyya Sayeed, the daughterof former state home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.