Delhi HC Issues Notice On NIA’s Plea Seeking Death Penalty For Yasin Malik

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice on a plea moved by NIA seeking death penalty for Kashmiri Separatist Yasin Malik. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta arguing for the NIA contended that propagating the idea of separating one region from the country makes the case of ‘rarest of rare’ – which is the criteria for giving death penalty to an accused. 

As Yasin Malik had himself pleaded guilty, the Delhi High Court questioned whether he should be given death penalty or not, to which the Solicitor General remarked that any terrorist can come here, do terrorist activities and then plead guilty before the court and then the court will say we will give him life sentence instead of death penalty.

This way any terrorist could avoid trial and subsequent death penalty. 

Tushar Mehta submitted that Malik was responsible for killing four IAF personnel in Rawalpora Srinagar, and kidnapping of Dr Rubaiya Sayeed, the daughter of then Union Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayyed. 

Mehta strongly contended that these people get training from Pakistan and then plead guilty in court to be rescued later.