Separatist Leader Yasin Malik On 'Hunger Strike' Inside Tihar Jail, Seeks 'Fair Trial'
A special court of the National Investigation Agency had convicted Malik in connection with the 2017 terror funding case and was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 25.
New Delhi: Convicted in a 2017 terror funding case, Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik has gone on a hunger strike alleging that his case is not being properly investigated by the agencies, officials said on Saturday, reported news agency IANS. Malik is currently lodged at cell number 7 in Tihar Jail. "Malik has been on hunger strike since Friday morning," a senior jail official confirmed to the news agency.
A special court of the National Investigation Agency had convicted Malik in connection with the 2017 terror funding case and was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 25.
The official refrained from divulging any further details when asked about the reason for hunger strike the report stated adding that prison sources said that he was protesting against the agencies that are investigating his case.
"Malik is alleging that his case is not being investigated properly, hence gone on an indefinite hunger strike," the report quoted its sources as saying.
Notably, Malik is not just separated from the outside world, he is even kept alone inside the prison, away from nearly 13,000 inmates there.
Jail No. 7, where Malik is lodged, has been always in the limelight as it has housed several high-profile prisoners, including former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, former Union Minister A. Raja, Sahara head Subrata Roy, Christian Michel, among several others.
The Court in its order had awarded two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of 'Rigorous Imprisonment' each to the convict.
Rigorous imprisonment means confinement of the offender in a manner that increases the hardship of the jail term based upon the nature of the offence by subjecting the offender to special arrangements in the jail.
Despite Court orders, Malik was not given any work inside the prison.
"He won't be assigned work at all due to security reasons," a top prison official told IANS, adding the work is assigned subject to security concerns and the decision is taken as per jail rules.
A few months back, another high-profile prisoner of the Sukesh Chandrashekhar went twice on hunger strike — first for ten days then another time for nine days in May — to protest against prison authorities to meet his wife more than two times a month. His wife, Leena Maria Paul is currently lodged in cell number 6 of the Tihar Jail.
A jail punishment was made against Sukesh for the misconduct.
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