Yasin Malik, Kashmiri separatist, gets life imprisonment in terror funding case

Yasin Malik sentencing: He has been charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, other unlawful activities, and disturbing peace in Kashmir.

Pic: ANI

New Delhi: Yasin Malik, separatist leader from Jammu and Kashmir, has sentenced to life imprisonment in terror funding case. On Wednesday (May 25), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had urged the court to give the death penalty to Yasin Malik. Malik had said that will not beg for anything and left the decision on court. The lawyer who attended the court proceeding said, in the courtroom, "Yasin said that if he has been involved in any terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, if Indian Intelligence proves this, then he will also retire from politics. 'I will accept the hanging. With seven Prime Ministers, I have worked'. But the court has sentenced Yasin to life. Special NIA Judge Praveen Singh announced the sentence.

Yasin has got two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The sentences will to run concurrently. A monetary penalty of over ₹ 10 lakh has also been levied, as per reports.

#WATCH | Terror funding case: Yasin Malik being taken out of NIA Court in Delhi. He will be taken to Tihar Jail shortly.

He has been awarded life imprisonment in the matter. pic.twitter.com/bCq5oo47Is

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2022

Earlier, on the demand by NIA for the death penalty to the separatist leader, he said, "I will not beg for anything. The case is before this court and I left on the court to decide it." NIA SPP (Special Public Prosecutor) told the court that Yasin Malik is responsible, in part, for the Kashmiri Pandit exodus.

The court on the last date had convicted him in the matter. Malik recently had pleaded guilty in the terror funding case. The lawyer representing NIA on Wednesday sought maximum punishment against Malik. However, Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh (court-appointed amicus) sought minimum punishment (life imprisonment). Earlier, the court asked NIA to give an affidavit on the socio-economic status of convict Yasin Malik after taking the help of local authorities. Malik is also directed to file an affidavit disclosing all sources of his income and assets (movable and immovable).

Yasin Malik has been charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, other unlawful activities, and disturbing peace in Kashmir. He had pleaded guilty in the matter. On the last date of the hearing, he told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him, including Sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being member of a terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.

The present case is related to the various terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul-Mujahideen (HM), Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) backed by Islamic State perpetrating the terrorist and secessionist activities to disturb Jammu and Kashmir.

(With Agency inputs)