NIA files affidavit against Yasin Malik in Delhi HC, claims JKLF leader aided Pakistan's conspiracy

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made a big disclosure in the affidavit filed in the Delhi High Court in the separatist agenda of separating Kashmir from India and the terror funding case. According to the agency, Kashmiri terrorist leader Yasin Malik was in touch with the top leadership of Pakistan and used these relations to spread anti-India and separatist agenda. In this case, NIA has also demanded to increase his punishment to death penalty.

According to Bar & Bench news, the NIA told the court that Malik was in touch with the Prime Minister, President, senators and Chief Ministers of different provinces of Pakistan. The agency says that through these contacts he was creating an environment to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India. Malik had argued that several Indian Prime Ministers had talked to him on the Kashmir issue. On this, NIA clearly said that such contacts do not provide any relief in this case nor do they reduce the seriousness of the allegations.

What did NIA say about Yasin Malik?

According to the agency, Malik's mention of his relations with Indian leaders, bureaucrats, foreign representatives and media is only an attempt to gain popularity and public sympathy, which has nothing to do with the merit of the case. NIA said that Malik also had connections with terrorists. According to the agency, he has been associated with terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, which further strengthens the allegations against him.

Did the affidavit mention of Yasin Malik's relations with JKLF?

The affidavit states that Malik has described himself as the Commander-in-Chief of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). NIA says that mentioning big names does not reduce its crimes. The trial court has already sentenced Malik to life imprisonment. Now in the High Court, NIA is demanding increase in his sentence and death sentence. The next hearing of the case will be in July, where there will be detailed debate on it.

What was the important point in the case?

The hearing in the Delhi High Court on the petition of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) demanding death penalty for Kashmir's separatist leader Yasin Malik has been postponed. Now this petition will be heard on July 21.
NIA also filed its reply on the reply filed by Yasin Malik in the court. Along with this, it was said that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is busy in the Sabarimala case going on in the Supreme Court, hence the hearing should be postponed. Fixing the next hearing date as July 21, the court has ordered to give a copy of NIA's reply to Yasin Malik.

What is the issue?

- The case is related to the 2017 terror funding case, in which Malik is accused of hawala, funding from Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and spreading unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Malik was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by the special court of Patiala House Court on 24 May 2022. After this, NIA challenged this decision in 2023.
- NIA has filed a petition in Delhi High Court demanding death penalty for Yasin Malik. The NIA claims Malik played a role in several murders and kidnappings in the 1990s, including the killing of four Air Force officers.
- Citing Supreme Court guidelines, the agency said such cases fall in the 'rarest of the rare' category and Malik should get the death penalty.
- At the same time, Yasin Malik had filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court saying that six governments in power at the Center since 1990 had talked to him to resolve the Kashmir issue. Among these, Governments led by V.P. Singh, Chandrashekhar, P.V. Narasimha Rao, H.D. Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh are included.