Separatist leader Yasin Malik pleads guilty before NIA court in terror funding case

This comes after the court had recently ordered the framing of charges against several separatist leaders including Yasin Malik under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and IPC.

The court will hear the arguments on the quantum of the sentence on May 19, under which Malik may get a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

NIA Judge recently, while passing the order said, "The analysis reflects that the statements of witnesses and documentary evidence have connected almost all the accused with each other and to a common object of secession, to the commonality of means they were to use, their close association to terrorist/ terrorist organizations under the guiding hand and funding of Pakistani establishment."

On March 16, 2022, the NIA Court had ordered the framing of charges against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, Kashmiri separatist leaders including Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masarat Alam and others under various sections of UAPA in a case pertaining to the terrorist and secessionist activities that disturbed the State of Jammu and Kashmir.