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New Delhi: The Indian Supreme Court has instructed the registrar generals of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and the Delhi High Court to ensure the availability of adequate video-conferencing facilities for the ongoing trial of Muhammad Yasin Malik, the incarcerated Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.
According to a statement by Kashmir Media Service, the directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan. The bench was responding to issues raised by a special court in Jammu concerning the malfunctioning of video-conferencing systems during hearings. The bench stressed the importance of having a reliable system in place to allow effective cross-examination, specifically for Malik, who is currently held in Tihar Jail on charges related to a financing case.
The Supreme Court instructed the registrar general of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to address the concerns highlighted by the Jammu special court judge. The court ordered the installation of a proper video-conferencing system and asked for a status report to be submitted by February 18. Similarly, the Delhi High Court’s IT registrar has been tasked with evaluating the video-conferencing facilities at Tihar Jail to ensure they meet the requirements of the trial.
The case is linked to the abduction of Rubaiya Sayeed in December 1989 and the killing of four Indian Air Force personnel in Srinagar in January 1990.
During the proceedings, the bench considered arguments from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is seeking to transfer the trial to New Delhi. The defense counsel opposed this transfer, citing Malik’s health conditions and advocating for the trial to continue in Jammu with Malik participating via video-conferencing.
The Supreme Court suggested the possibility of establishing a special court at Tihar Jail to expedite the trial. Malik is currently serving a life sentence related to a funding case from 2023.
The next hearing has been scheduled for February 21, after the submission of status reports by the respective high courts.
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