New Delhi, August 11, 2025:
The Delhi High Court on Monday asked separatist leader Yasin Malik to respond to a petition filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking the death penalty against him in a terror funding case.
A bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Shalinder Kaur granted Malik four weeks to file his reply to the NIA’s petition. The court scheduled the next hearing for November 10, 2025.
Malik, who is lodged in Tihar Jail serving a life sentence, was expected to appear virtually from jail but was not produced in court during the proceedings on Monday. Previously, Malik declined the court’s offer to appoint a lawyer and expressed his wish to argue the matter in person.
Case Background
On May 24, 2022, a trial court convicted Malik under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other relevant laws, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Malik had pleaded guilty to the charges related to terror funding.
The NIA challenged the life sentence, arguing that terrorists should not be spared the death penalty merely for pleading guilty and avoiding trial. The agency stated that failure to impose capital punishment on such offenders could weaken India’s sentencing system and offer terrorists a way to escape harsher punishment.
While the trial court rejected the NIA’s plea for the death penalty, it acknowledged the severity of Malik’s crimes, describing them as an assault on the “heart of the idea of India” aimed at forcibly separating Jammu and Kashmir from the Union.
Court Proceedings and Security Issues
Due to Malik’s classification as a high-risk prisoner, the court permitted his virtual appearance to avoid security risks associated with his physical production in court. However, Malik was neither produced virtually nor did he file his reply by the August 9 deadline set by the court.
On Monday, the bench directed jail authorities to ensure Malik’s virtual appearance at the next hearing on November 10.
