The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took a significant step on Friday i.e. May 26 by approaching the Delhi High Court to seek the death penalty for Yasin Malik, a prominent separatist leader.

Yasin Malik had previously been handed a life imprisonment sentence by a trial court in a case related to terror financing.

The NIA's plea has been scheduled for a hearing on May 29, where it will be presented before a bench comprising Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh.

In its plea filed before the high court to seek an increase in Malik's sentence, the NIA argued that if these "notorious terrorists" are not sentenced to death upon conviction, they would inevitably seek loopholes to evade capital punishment.

The NIA contended that a life sentence is inadequate considering the severity of the crimes committed by the terrorists, especially in the context of the precious lives of soldiers lost by the country.

Life Imprisonment for Yasin Malik: Verdict by Delhi Trial Court

On May 24, 2022, a trial court in Delhi had pronounced a verdict, sentencing Yasin Malik, the chief of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), to life imprisonment.

The court found him guilty of multiple offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code.

The NIA had requested the imposition of the death penalty for Yasin Malik, but their plea for capital punishment was denied by the trial court.

What was the case?

The case pertained to alleged acts of terrorism and secessionist activities that caused disruption in the Kashmir Valley back in 2017. Yasin Malik was taken into custody by the NIA in 2019 in relation to this case.