NIA Court awards life imprisonment to Yasin Malik

NEW DELHI: Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, who had earlier pleaded guilty to all the charges, including those under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), in a terror funding case, was awarded life imprisonment by a NIA court on Wednesday.

The NIA had sought death penalty and told Special Judge Praveen Singh in an in-chamber proceedings that Malik was responsible for the Kashmiri exodus.

On the point of sentence, sources said that Malik submitted that he would not beg for mercy, and that court could decide at its discretion.

The amicus curiae appointed by the court to assist Malik, sought minimum punishment, i.e., life imprisonment in the matter.

Malik, meanwhile, said that if Indian Intelligence can prove that he had been involved in any terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, then he would retire from politics, and will also accept the hanging.

The court had on May 19 convicted Malik and had directed the NIA authorities to assess his financial situation to determine the amount of fine likely to be imposed.

Malik had on May 10 told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included sections 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 IPC.

(With inputs from agencies)

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