Delhi High Court to hear NIA’s plea for death penalty against Yasin Malik on April 22

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted four weeks to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its rejoinder to separatist leader Yasin Malik’s reply opposing the agency’s appeal seeking the death penalty for him in a terror funding case, and listed the matter for hearing on April 22 .

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja observed that there was “no urgency” in the matter as the appeal pertains to enhancement of sentence and Malik is already serving life imprisonment . “This is for the enhancement of sentences. You are already on life sentence,” the court remarked while granting the NIA a last opportunity to respond.

Malik, chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) , appeared virtually from Tihar jail and accused the agency of wasting time and causing him trauma by repeatedly seeking adjournments. The NIA, however, countered that Malik himself took nearly a year to file his reply and said the lengthy affidavit contained material unrelated to the case. The agency also sought an in-camera hearing .

A trial court had on May 24, 2022 convicted Malik under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code for terror funding, conspiracy and waging war against the nation, and sentenced him to life imprisonment . In 2023, the NIA challenged the verdict , arguing that life sentence was not commensurate with the gravity of the crimes and that sparing “dreaded terrorists” capital punishment would erode sentencing policy.

Malik claimed he had spent nearly three decades as part of a state-backed backchannel mechanism engaging with successive prime ministers, intelligence officials and others to foster peace in Jammu and Kashmir, and alleged attempts were being made to erase that history.