Srinagar court acquits Yasin Malik, other Hurriyat leaders in 22-year-old fake cases

ISLAMABAD: Srinagar court has acquitted the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik, and several other Hurriyat leaders in over two-decade-old fake cases registered against them, in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The Court of 3rd Additional Munsif Srinagar, Fouzia Pal, acquitted these leaders after prosecution failed to provide any evidence against them in the false cases registered in 1998, reported by Kashmir Media Service.

Last month, the court issued summons to several Hurriyat leaders in two cases.

Those who were summoned included Syed Ali Gilani, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Professor Abdul Ghani Bhatt, Javaid Ahmed Mir, Dr Ghulam Muhammad Hubbi, and Ghulam Nabi Zaki.

The proceedings were held on fast-track basis during last over a month after High Court directions on speedy trial of over two-decade-old cases.

These cases were registered by the Indian police in Srinagar’s Ram Munshi Bagh Police Station in 1998 against the Hurriyat leaders for holding an anti-India protest march in the city.

The prosecution failed to provide evidence against the leaders and the judge acquitted them and dismissed the cases.

The judge sought personal appearance of Syed Ali Gilani and Muhammad Yasin Malik.

However, counsels for the two leaders Advocate Aijaz Ahmed Dar and Advocate Bilal Ahmed Wani informed the court that Muhammad Yasin Malik is detained in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail and Syed Ali Gilani is under house arrest and is ailing so can’t be produced.

Later, after affidavits were filed by the families of the leaders, they were acquitted in the cases.