NIA demands death penalty for Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Wednesday sought death penalty for convicted Kashmiri separatist and chief of banned Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik in a terror funding case, news agency PTI reported. Malik was convicted last week by a Delhi court after he pleaded guilty to charges related to terror funding, spreading terrorism and secessionist activities in Kashmir in 2017.Claiming that he has worked with seven Prime Ministers, he challenged the Indian intelligence agencies to point out if has been involved in any terror activities or violence in the last 28 years. "I will retire from politics and also accept the death penalty," he added.

Parts of Srinagar witnessed a shutdown today ahead of today's verdict. Shops and other business establishments were shut in some parts of the city. However, the public transport and private vehicles were operating normally.Security officials have been deployed in the sensitive areas of Srinagar to avoid any law-and-order situation, officials said.The court had earlier said that Malik had set up an elaborate structure and mechanism across the world to raise funds for carrying out terrorist and other unlawful activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the name of the "freedom struggle". Special judge Praveen Singh had on May 19 convicted Yasin Malik and had directed NIA authorities to assess his financial situation to determine the amount of fine likely to be imposed.On May 10, Malik had told the court that he was not contesting the charges levelled against him that included sections 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy to commit terrorist act) and 20 (being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the UAPA and sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 124-A (sedition) of the IPC.