The Supreme Court of India has suggested setting up a makeshift courtroom in jail to cross-examine Kashmiri separatist leader Muhammad Yasin Malik, who is currently lodged at Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
This proposal comes after the Central Bureau of Investigation expressed concerns about producing Malik physically in a Jammu court due to alleged security risks.
The CBI argued that Malik’s history of frequent visits to Pakistan and sharing a platform with Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed makes him a high-risk defendant.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that Malik could not be taken to Jammu for trial and raised concerns about witness safety.
The court, however, emphasized the need for a fair trial, citing the example of Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 Mumbai attack convict who received a fair trial.
Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2022 by a NIA Court for charges including conspiracy, waging war against India, and militant funding.
A separate plea by the NIA seeking the death sentence for Malik is pending before the Delhi High Court.
The court has stayed the orders of a Sessions Judge in Jammu seeking Malik’s physical appearance for cross-examination of witnesses related to the killing of four IAF personnel and abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed. [KNT]