The Supreme Court has directed Yasin Malik, the jailed chief of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), to appear in a Jammu court via video-conferencing on March 7. This decision comes after the CBI sought to transfer Malik’s trials from Jammu to New Delhi, citing concerns about national security.
Malik is currently facing trial in two cases: the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case, in which four Indian Air Force personnel were killed. The CBI has argued that Malik is a threat to national security and cannot be allowed to leave Tihar jail, where he is currently serving a life term.
The Supreme Court has ensured that the Jammu sessions court is equipped with proper video-conferencing facilities to enable Malik’s virtual examination. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the video-conferencing system is working properly in the Jammu court, and that Malik has refused to engage a lawyer and is opposing the transfer of trial.
