Yasin Malik refuses to contest Sarla Bhat murder trial

Jailed Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik has informed a Srinagar court that he will no longer contest the trial regarding the 1990 killing of Kashmiri Pandit nurse Sarla Bhat. In a 25-page affidavit submitted through his lawyer, Malik stated he is willing to face the death penalty, though he emphasized that his decision to withdraw from the proceedings should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.

Malik denied any involvement in the abduction and murder of Bhat, who was a staff nurse at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences. He claimed he was falsely implicated due to political circumstances and noted that he was unconscious and undergoing medical treatment for life-threatening injuries at the time of the killing in April 1990.

Additionally, Malik announced his decision to divorce his wife, activist Mushaal Hussein Mullick. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 19, 2026, to allow for the prosecution’s reply.