SRINAGAR (JAMMU AND KASHMIR): In a significant turn of events at a special CBI court on Thursday, a crucial eyewitness, Rajwar Umeshwar Singh, a former IAF staffer, positively identified Kashmiri separatist leader and JKLF chief Yasin Malik as the primary assailant responsible for firing at Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in Srinagar back in 1990 in which four IAF officers were killed, sources said.
Yasin Malik, who has been incarcerated at Delhi's Tihar Jail, was produced before the court via video link for the identification process on Thursday. Rajwar Umeshwar Singh's testimony is being hailed as a crucial development in the case, shedding light on Malik's alleged involvement in the attack. The attack took place way back on January 25, 1990, at Rawalpora on the outskirts of Srinagar, resulting in the death of four IAF personnel, including a squadron leader, and leaving 22 others injured.
Senior Public Prosecutor for CBI, Monika Kohli, emphasized the significance of the identification, stating, "This is an important development in the case as the prosecution witness has identified Malik as the man behind the shooting." In light of this identification, the prosecution is now set to seek the death penalty for Yasin Malik as the trial progresses.
The revelation brings a renewed focus on the events of 1990 and underscores the gravity of the charges against the JKLF chief in connection with the attack on IAF personnel. Pertinently, last month, three witnesses, including former Kashmir Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom had failed to appear in a special court in Jammu in connection with the 1989 abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
