New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (February 21) directed jailed separatist leader Yasin Malik to appear before a court in Jammu from Delhi’s Tihar Jail through video-conferencing on March 7.
A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed Malik to appear before the Jammu court on March 7 while taking note that the sessions court in Jammu was well-equipped with the video-conferencing system enabling the virtual examination, news agency PTI reported.
What did the CBI submit?
Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), informed the bench that as per the report filed by the registrar general of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the video-conferencing system in the Jammu court was working properly.
Apex court was hearing a plea by CBI
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the CBI seeking transfer of trial of cases involving Malik and others from the court in Jammu to Delhi on grounds of security. It has sought transfer of trials from the Jammu court to Delhi in the 1989 kidnapping case of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case.
The CBI has submitted before the top court that there were security concerns on taking Malik, who is the chief of the proscribed JKLF, from Delhi’s Tihar Jail to the Jammu court for the trial in the cases, as he was a threat to national security and he cannot be allowed to be taken to the Jammu court.
What did the apex court earlier direct?
The apex court had earlier directed the registrar general of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to look into the matter of non-functioning of video conferencing facilities at a special court in Jammu and ensure proper facilities for the hearing in the 1989 Rubaiya Sayeed kidnapping case and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case involving Malik.
The top court had also directed the registrar general of the Delhi High Court to ensure proper video conferencing facilities at Tihar Jail where Malik is currently serving a life sentence in a terror funding case. It had directed the both the registrar generals of the high courts to file their status reports and had listed the matter for further hearing on February 21.
