1990 IAF officers killing: Yasin Malik appears in special court through video conferencing in Jammu

On August 31, 1990, Malik was charged by the CBI before the TADA court in Jammu. Malik was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in a terror-funding case and is currently being held in Tihar Jail.

Image Credit; ANI

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, who is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail in a terror financing case, on Wednesday appeared in a special court here through Video conferencing in connection with the 1990 killing of four Air Force personnel. The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court has now issued the production warrant to the CBI for cross-examining witnesses in the case on October 23. "Malik appeared through virtual mode. Malik is the main accused among 10 accused in the case," Senior advocate S K Bhat, who appeared on behalf of the prosecution, said. Malik, 56, is serving a life sentence in a terror-funding case.

On September 21, the special TADA Court issued a production warrant to ensure the physical presence of Malik before it on October 19 in the 1990 IAF personnel attack case. However, the Tihar jail informed the court Malik's travel to Jammu was not possible. "The superintendent of jail number 7 of Tihar jail said in their request to the court that as Malik has been awarded a life sentence in the NIA case (terror-funding case), and they have appealed for enhancement of judgement to a death sentence in Delhi High Court, they are ordered not to move him outside (Delhi)", he said.

The court accepted the plea and fixed October 23 for his virtual production during the cross-examination of witness V K Sharma, he said. "On September 21, a special TADA Court had issued production warrants to ensure the physical presence of Malik before the court on October 19. Now, he has to cross-examine the prosecution witnesses via virtual mode. Otherwise, his right to cross-examination will be closed,” said Bhat.

He said Malik has been given a fair trial and the court offered legal aid but he refused. The special court in March 2020 framed charges against Malik, who heads the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), and six others for their alleged involvement in the killing of four unarmed IAF personnel, including Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, on January 25, 1990, at Rawalpora in Srinagar.

Malik was charge-sheeted by the CBI before the TADA court in Jammu on August 31, 1990. Malik has been arrested in a terror-funding case by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. He also faces a case related to the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of then Union home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He will appear through video conference on Thursday for cross-examination in this case.