Terror funding: NIA seeks death sentence for Yasin Malik

The court had awarded Malik a 10-year jail term each under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war against the government of India) of IPC and sections 15 (terrorism), 18 (conspiracy for terrorism) and 20 (being member of terror organisation) of UAPA.

New Delhi:The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday sought a death sentence for jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik for his involvement in a terror funding case.

Although the agency sought a death sentence for Malik, the court said that the death penalty should be awarded only in exceptional cases. Death penalty should be given wherein the crime by its nature shocks the collective consciousness of the society.

NIA's plea will be heard on Monday by the Delhi court. Malik is currently serving a life sentence in a militant funding case. NIA's plea is listed for hearing on Monday before a division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh. In 2022, the Delhi court convicted separatist leader Malik for his involvement in spreading terrorism and secessionist activities in Kashmir value in 2017. Malik was booked for charges under sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court had awarded Malik a 10-year jail term each under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (conspiracy to wage war against the government of India) of IPC and sections 15 (terrorism), 18 (conspiracy for terrorism) and 20 (being member of terror organisation) of UAPA. It had also awarded a five-year jail term each under sections 13 (unlawful act), 38 (offence related to membership of terrorism) and 39 (support given to terrorism) of UAPA. Malik had on May 10 last year told the Delhi court he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included acts of terrorism and sedition.

The court had 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.