Death Penalty For Yasin Malik? Delhi High Court Gives NIA Last Opportunity To File Reply To Kashmir Separatist's Response
The court has asked the NIA to file its reply to Malik's response over the investigating agency's demand of death sentence to him.
Published : January 28, 2026 at 1:21 PM IST
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing on the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) plea seeking the death penalty for Kashmir separatist leader Yasin Malik, who has been convicted in a murder and terror funding case.
A bench headed by Justice Naveen Chawla gave the NIA a final opportunity to file its reply to Yasin Malik's response. The next hearing in the case will be held on April 22. It may be recalled that on May 25, 2022, the Patiala House Court sentenced Yasin Malik to life imprisonment and imposed a fine on him of ten lakh rupees under Section 17 of the UAPA, ten years imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees under Section 18, ten years imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees under Section 20, and five years imprisonment and a fine of five thousand rupees under Sections 38 and 39.
The court also sentenced Yasin Malik to ten years imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and ten years imprisonment and a fine of ten thousand rupees under Section 121A. The court stated that all these sentences would run concurrently. This means that the maximum sentence of life imprisonment and the fine of ten lakh rupees would be effective.
On May 10, 2022, Yasin Malik pleaded guilty in the Patiala House Court. On March 16, 2022, the court ordered the framing of charges against Malik besides Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Shabbir Shah and Masarat Alam, Engineer Rashid, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmed Shah, Avtar Ahmed Shah, Nayeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Butt alias Peer Saifullah, and other accused.
According to the NIA, organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, JKLF, and Jaish-e-Mohammed, with the support of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, carried out attacks and violence against civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA said that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference was established in 1993 to carry out separatist activities.
According to the NIA, Hafiz Saeed, in collaboration with Hurriyat Conference leaders, facilitated the transfer of funds through hawala and other channels to carry out terrorist activities. This money, as per the NIA, was used to spread unrest in the valley, attack security forces, burn schools, and damage public property.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the NIA to register a case under Sections 120B, 121, and 121A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39, and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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