Jailed Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik has asked a Srinagar court to award him capital punishment in the 1990 murder case of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat, while deciding not to contest the trial proceedings further, according to reports.
Malik submitted a 25-page statement before the Additional Sessions Judge (TADA/POTA) and Special Judge designated under the NIA Act in Srinagar through his counsel, Advocate Abu Adil Pandit. The matter has been listed for the prosecution’s reply on September 19.
Because she was allegedly working as an informer for security forces, he rejected the allegation that Bhat was targeted. Malik maintained that she was an innocent civilian and questioned why his name did not appear in the investigation conducted at the time of the killing.
The State Investigation Agency (SIA) filed a 737-page charge sheet in June, naming Malik along with Khurshid Ahmad Chalkoo, Abdul Hamid Sheikh, Mohammad Yousuf Sofi and Ghulam Mohammad Taploo as accused. The JKLF leader has been in custody since 2019 in connection with a terror-funding case and was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court in May 2022 after pleading guilty to charges.
he said that after “deep reflection” and “Istikhara” a voluntary Islamic prayer seeking divine guidance he had decided not to contest the proceedings further Although Malik maintains that he has been falsely implicated in the case. In his submission, he said he learnt about the murder months after it occurred while he was in judicial custody. He also challenged the prosecution’s reliance on an alleged handwritten JKLF note said to have been recovered from the crime scene.
He specifically clarified that his decision should not be considered an admission of guilt or acceptance of the allegations against him, even as he requested the court to impose capital punishment. Malik has denied any involvement in Bhat’s killing. In a significant development, Malik has indicated that he does not wish to contest the proceedings in that case and has sought the death penalty instead.
