Two Key Witnesses Identify Yasin Malik as Shooter in 1990 IAF Attack.
In a significant development in the 1990 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel killing case, two prime witnesses on Saturday identified jailed Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Yasin Malik as one of the gunmen who opened fire on air force staff in Srinagar. The identification was made during a hearing before the TADA court in Jammu, where the witnesses also pointed out three of Malik’s alleged associates.
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya called the development a “big breakthrough”, noting on X that a crucial eyewitness — a former IAF staffer — had given a decisive statement linking the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief to the shooting that killed four IAF personnel in 1990. “This eyewitness account strengthens the prosecution’s case and brings the nation one step closer to holding the perpetrators fully accountable,” he wrote.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 29.
Background of the 1990 Attack
On January 25, 1990, four IAF personnel were killed and several others injured when terrorists opened fire at Rawalpora on the outskirts of Srinagar. The victims were waiting for a bus to take them to duty. Among those killed was Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna.
Yasin Malik, leader of the banned JKLF, is the prime accused in the case. Six others — Ali Mohammad Mir, Manzoor Ahmad Sofi (alias Mustafa), Javed Ahmed Mir (alias Nalka), Showkat Ahmed Bakshi, Javed Ahmed Zargar, and Rafiq “Nanaji” Pahloo — have also been charged.
Malik’s Current Status
Malik is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence after he pleaded guilty in a 2017 terror funding case. In May 2022, a special court sentenced him to life imprisonment under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various IPC sections.
In an 85-page affidavit submitted earlier this year, Malik claimed he played a major role in a state-backed “backchannel” dialogue over three decades, engaging with successive prime ministers and intelligence chiefs to facilitate peace efforts in Jammu and Kashmir.
NIA Seeks Death Penalty
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has appealed for the death penalty in the 2017 terror funding case, arguing that pleading guilty should not shield an accused from capital punishment in terrorism-related offences. The agency has sought in-camera proceedings before the Delhi High Court, which will hear the matter next on January 28.
Malik, appearing via video conference from Tihar, told the court he faced “psychological torture” due to the prolonged delay in deciding the appeal.
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