Yasin Malik seeks death penalty in Sarla Bhat murder trial
Yasin Malik, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), has requested the death penalty in a 1990 murder case involving nurse Sarla Bhat.
He submitted a 25-page statement to the court on September 2, 2026, saying he won't fight the trial but still insists he's innocent.
The next hearing is set for September 19, 2026.
Malik announces divorce from wife Mushaal
Malik also revealed he's divorcing his wife Mushaal after prayerful consideration, explaining it's not an admission of guilt but a way to free her from his situation.
He claims the present proceedings are politically motivated and that the Bhat murder case was not registered against him at the time.
In a heartfelt note to his family, Malik wrote that he loved them and was sorry that he had been unable to be with them, urging his daughter Raziya Sultana to call her grandmother in Kashmir every day for at least five minutes.