New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik to respond to a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking the transfer of his case to Tihar Jail, where he is currently imprisoned, as per a report by the Jammu Times.
Malik is facing trial for the alleged killing of an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and the 1989 abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench, comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih, that the transfer request has been submitted, citing Tihar Jail’s fully equipped courtroom facility. The court has sought Malik’s response and scheduled the matter for further consideration on December 18.
Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2022 by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on charges of conspiracy, waging war against the state, and terror funding after he pleaded guilty. Separately, the NIA has filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court seeking the death penalty for him.
In 2023, the Supreme Court stayed an order from a Jammu Sessions Judge requiring Malik’s physical appearance for cross-examination of witnesses in connection with the killing of four IAF personnel and the abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed.
The latest development marks another chapter in the legal proceedings against Malik, whose case has drawn significant attention and controversy.
