NIA court convicts Yasin Malik in terror funding case

Wednesday 25th May 2022 06:55 EDT
 

Days after Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik pleaded guilty to all charges in an NIA case relating to funding of terrorist and separatist activities in Kashmir, an NIA special court here convicted him under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code.
The court will hear the arguments on the quantum of punishment for Malik – convicted under Section 120B, 121, 121A of IPC and Sections 13 r/w 120B, 15 r/w 120B, 17, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of UAPA -on May 25. The maximum punishment under these sections is life imprisonment. Last week special judge Parveen Singh inquired from Malik whether he wanted to re-think his plea to plead guilty. Malik was convicted after he confirmed that he stood by his decision.

The court has sought an affidavit from Malik regarding his financial assets. NIA has also been asked to submit a report regarding his financial assessment, possibly to help the court reach a decision on the fine to be imposed.

NIA said its probe had established that Malik, a resident of Maisuma in Srinagar and head of JKLF, declared an unlawful organisation under UAPA, was involved in terrorist and subversive activities in J&K. In 2016, Malik along with other Hurriyat leaders formed a self-styled group called 'Joint Resistance Leadership', whereby they started issuing directions to the Kashmiri masses to hold protests, demonstrations, hartals, shutdowns, road-blocks and such other disruptive activities with an intent to push the Valley into chaos and lawlessness.
Malik, NIA stated, was involved in raising terror funds from businessmen involved in LoC trade as well as from various entities based abroad, as part of a larger conspiracy by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba front Jamaat ud Dawah, and separatists leaders. These funds, raised in the name of Kashmiri ‘freedom struggle’, were passed on by Malik to terrorists associated with banned outfits like Lashkare-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, etc as well as to stone-pelters mobilised by Hurriyat leaders and cadres for staging violent protests and demonstrations.

The Hurriyat terror funding case, registered by NIA in 2017, pertains to the conspiracy by Hafiz Saeed and separatist leaders, including from the Hurriyat Conference.


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