Accepting the plea of the jailed separatist leader Yasin Malik, a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court of Jammu on Wednesday issued a production warrant against the chairman of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in connection with the Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel killing case.
Yasin Malik appealed to the TADA court to allow him to appear physically at Jammu CBI Court to cross-examine the witnesses himself. The CBI Court allowed his plea and issued a production warrant to Tihar Jail to produce him for the next hearing on December 22.
"TADA court issued a production warrant for Yasin Malik, next date of hearing is December 22", Monika Kohli, CBI lawyer told media persons after the hearing at Jammu.
CBI to challenge TADA court's order
The Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the TADA court's production warrant order for Yasin Malik.
"The CBI will challenge the order before Supreme Court as there are directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs and there is a letter as well which has been provided to the court that he cannot be brought in the Valley", Monika Kohli said.
Four IAF officers were killed by terrorists in 1990
- Four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel, including Ravi Khanna, were killed in a terror attack on January 25, 1990, in which JKLF chief Yasin Malik was involved.
- The charges were brought against Malik and six others on March 16, 2020, in the killing of four IAF personnel on the outskirts of Srinagar on January 25, 1990.
- Besides Malik, others accused charged in the killing of IAF personnel are Ali Mohammed Mir, Manzoor Ahmed Sofi alias Mustafa, Javed Ahmed Mir alias 'Nalka', Showkat Ahmed Bakshi, Javed Ahmed Zargar, and Nanaji.
- After a three-decade trial in both the cases was resumed on September 11, 2019, this year.
- On March 7, 2019, Malik was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and was brought to Jammu from Srinagar and was shifted to Kot Bhawal Jail.
- After booking Malik under PSA, his organization JKLF was banned by the Centre under anti-terror law. Within days after banning his organization, Malik was shifted from Jammu to Tihar Jail.
- Malik was charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before the TADA court in Jammu on August 31, 1990, in connection with the case.
- April 26, 2019, J&K High Court rejected two petitions of Yasin Malik to shift cases registered him from TADA Court Jammu to TADA Court Srinagar.
- The TADA had allowed the appearance of Yasin Malik through video conferencing as Tihar Jail authorities had refused to present Malik in person due to instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment in terror funding case
On May 25 this year, a special NIA Court awarded life imprisonment and a fine to the tune of Rs 10 lakh to Yasin Malik in a terror funding case. Special Judge Praveen Singh at Delhi's Patiala House Court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Malik, who had earlier pleaded guilty to all the charges, including those under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Malik was arrested on April 4 for his role in fomenting unrest in Kashmir during separatist agitations in 2010 and 2016.
