Jammu Kashmir leader Yasin Malik files affidavit denying 1990 murder, seeks death penalty and divorce

Yasin Malik, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, lodged a 25-page affidavit with the additional sessions judge overseeing the Tada and Pota investigations in Srinagar, rejecting any role in the 1990 killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. He highlighted that he was severely injured, unconscious, and receiving medical care when the murder occurred, making the allegation that he ordered the act implausible.

Malik described the State Investigation Agency’s chargesheet, filed on June 29, 2026, as a product of political circumstances and denied any wrongdoing. He pledged not to challenge the forthcoming trial, yet requested that his statements be admitted as part of the evidence and that he be sentenced to death. Additionally, Malik addressed his wife Mushaal Malik and daughter Raziya Sultana, stating his desire to divorce Mushaal to prevent her from living as a widow, and asked her to start a new life. The case is scheduled for a reply hearing on September 19, 2026.