New Delhi:
The chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Yasin Malik, who is serving a life sentence for, among other things, financing terrorism, has started a hunger strike in Tihar prison, prison officials said Saturday.
Malik, who is in jail number 7 of Tihar Prison, claimed his case was not being properly investigated when he started his hunger strike on July 22.
Malik, who was arrested shortly after the JKLF was banned in 2019, was convicted on May 19 this year by an NIA court in terrorist financing cases and sentenced to life imprisonment on May 25.
The NIA court sentenced Malik to life imprisonment and also fined him Rs 10 lakh. He told the court that he was not contesting the charges against him.
On July 15 this year, Rubaiya Sayeed, sister of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti and daughter of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Malik in connection with her abduction by JKLF militants on December 8, 1989 .
Rubaiya was abducted in Srinagar on December 8, 1989, and released on December 13 after five days after the then VP Singh government in the Center released five terrorists in return.
Malik is a suspect in this case along with others.
The 56-year-old separatist leader has requested a physical appearance when a court in Jammu hears the case on Aug. 23.
Apart from the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, Malik is also accused of shooting four Indian Air Force (IAF) officials in January 1990 in Srinagar.
Malik has also moved an application to the national government with the request to appear in person in this case.
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