Yasin Malik terror funding case: Stone pelting reported near separatist leader's house; sentencing shortly

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has demanded from a special court to award the death penalty for Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik who was convicted in a terror funding case last week. The agency made the submission before special judge Praveen Singh, while the amicus curiae appointed by the court to assist Malik sought life imprisonment, the minimum punishment in the matter.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of stone pelting outside Yasin Malik's residence in Srinagar. The Police have also used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Malik told the court that he will retire from politics if the intelligence agencies can give proof of his involvement in terror activities. Malik also noted that he has worked with seven Prime Ministers and told the judge that he was leaving it to the court to decide the quantum of punishment.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its order and is likely to pronounce it later in the day.

Earlier on May 19, special judge Praveen Singh had convicted Malik and had directed NIA authorities to assess his financial situation to determine the amount of fine likely to be imposed. The court had also directed Malik to furnish an affidavit regarding his financial assets by the next date of the hearing.

Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that including sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for 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 IPC.

The court had earlier also formally framed the charges against Kashmiri separatist leaders including Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam, Md Yusuf Shah, Aftab Ahmad Shah, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Md Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Naval Kishore Kapoor.

The charge sheet was also filed against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, who have been declared proclaimed offenders (PO) in the case.

Malik is in Delhi's high-security Tihar Jail since 2019.