Mohammad Yasin Malik, the Kashmiri Separatist responsible for the murder of four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel and genocide of Pandits in the Valley, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in New Delhi on Wednesday. In addition to that, the court also imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on Malik.
Two life imprisonments have been given to Yasin Malik, besides that 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in 10 offences and Rs 10 lakh penalty, all the punishments will run concurrently,” advocate Umesh Sharma was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
However, the court order comes in contrary to what the NIA had asked for. The central agency had sought death sentence for Malik, who was convicted by the court on May 19, saying the separatist leader was responsible for the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.
However, Malik – convicted under Section 120B, 121, 121A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) – had earlier told the NIA court that he will accept hanging if the intelligence agencies prove he was involved in terror-related activities.
“I will not beg for anything. The case is before this court and I leave it on the court to decide it,” Malik told the court, as reported by news agency IANS. “If I have been involved in any terrorist activity or violence in 28 years, if Indian Intelligence proves this, then I will also retire from politics. I will accept the hanging… with seven Prime Ministers, I have worked.”
Malik was convicted by the court on May 19. This came after told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act), and 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC.