A special NIA court in Delhi awarded Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik to life in prison for his role in a Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. The special court's decision came amid tight security at the Patiala House District Court in the national capital.
Apart from the life sentence, Special NIA judge Parveen Singh also awarded Malik ten-year jail terms and rigorous imprisonment for conviction under various other offences including conspiracy. The judge clarified that life imprisonment means life till death and that all the jail terms will run concurrently. Besides this, the court also imposed over Rs 10 lakhs in fine.
The special NIA court on May 19 had convicted Malik after he plead guilty in a case pertaining to terror funding.
Earlier today, the National Investigation Agency had sought capital punishment as a "deterrent".
"In 28 years if the Indian intelligence agencies can prove that I participated in violence or in rioting then I will retire from politics and I am willing to accept the death sentence," Malik allegedly said. "I have worked with seven PMs," he added.
Sources who attended the in-camera hearing said Malik did not oppose NIA's plea, even as the amicus curiae, in this case, sought the minimum punishment.
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Earlier this year in March, the court had observed that witness statements and documentary evidence connected the accused to each other with a common object of secession. Malik along with his co-accused committed an "orchestra conspiracy" and their close association to terrorists or terror outfits were "under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment."
The court also framed charges against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Salahuddin, Rashid Engineer, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, and others. However, they have claimed trial.
According to the chargesheet filed by the NIA, various terrorist organizations like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahiddin (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e- Mohd. (JeM) perpetrated violence in the Kashmir valley with the ISI support. The chargesheet alleged that Malik and his co-accused entered into a larger conspiracy to cause disruption in the valley by collecting international and domestic funds through illegal channels like hawala to support the terror activities like pelting stones on security forces, systematically burning of schools, damage to public property and waging war against India.
The NIA further alleged that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed in 1993 to give a political front to the secessionist activities.
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