1990 IAF killings case: Eyewitness names banned JKLF chief Yasin Malik as shooter
Malik, already serving a life sentence, is also facing trial in the 1989 kidnapping of then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's daughter
A file image of banned Jammu and Kashmire Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik. (Photo:IANS)
Jammu, Nov 23: A key eyewitness has identified banned Jammu and Kashmire Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik as the main shooter in the 1990 killing of four Indian Air Force personnel in Srinagar’s Rawalpora, marking a major breakthrough in the decades-old case being heard by a special TADA court in Jammu.
According to officials, the eyewitness, an IAF personnel and colleague of the victims, confirmed Malik’s role in the attack that killed four Air Force officials, including Squadron Leader Ravi Kumar Khanna, and left 22 others injured.
Malik, already serving a life sentence in a terror funding case, is also facing trial in the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of the then Union Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Two eyewitnesses identified Malik and three of his alleged associates, namely Javed Mir, Muhammad Rafiq Pahloo alias Saleem Nana Ji, and Shaukat Bakshi, during Saturday’s proceedings. Malik attended the hearing through video conferencing.
During cross-examination, both witnesses stood by their statements, reiterating that the four were responsible for the attack. A third IAF staff member also testified that Malik was the main shooter.
With the eyewitness testimonies now recorded, the next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 29. The prosecution is seeking the maximum punishment for Malik.
IANS