Newdelhi,Oct 14, 2026 13:08 ISTThe Delhi High Court sought a report from prison authorities after separatist leader Yasin Malik failed to materialize virtually for a scheduled court session in a terror funding case. Malik, who heads the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, is presently serving a life sentence inside Tihar jail.
The judicial proceedings centered on the National Investigation Agency petition urging the court to upgrade Malik's current life term to capital punishment. The bench scheduled the next hearing for December 9, emphasizing that Malik must connect to the proceedings virtually by that date.
A judicial bench consisting of Justices Navin Chawla and Arun Bhardwaj pointed out the absence of the respondent during the session. Expressing dissatisfaction, the bench directed the concerned jail superintendent to submit a formal explanation regarding the oversight.
Previously, Malik expressed his intention to personally argue against the agency request for a harsher sentence. When the High Court initially issued notice on the petition back in May 2023, prison officials subsequently requested permission for virtual appearances, citing his classification as a high-risk prisoner and the security risks associated with transporting him physically.
A trial court previously handed down a life sentence to Malik in May 2022 following his guilty plea to charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code. The National Investigation Agency later challenged this ruling, asserting that sparing a dangerous terrorist from the death penalty simply because they pleaded guilty would severely undermine sentencing standards.
In his defense submission, Malik claimed he spent decades engaging in official back-channel peace efforts with successive national leaders and intelligence officials. The agency countered these assertions by stating that mentioning prominent political and bureaucratic figures does not erase his extensive ties to militant groups and figures like Hafiz Saeed.
Although the original trial court characterized Malik's actions as a direct strike against the integrity of the nation, it ultimately concluded that the circumstances did not meet the stringent threshold of the rarest of rare cases required for capital punishment. The High Court proceedings are set to resume on December 9, pending the submission of the jail report concerning the missed appearance.