New Delhi: In a significant development, Delhi High Court Judge Amit Sharma recused himself from hearing the appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking the death penalty for Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the case was scheduled for a hearing today before a division bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh, after recent changes in the bench’s roster. “List before another bench, of which Justice Sharma is not a member, on August 9,” Justice Singh stated during the proceedings.

Yasin Malik, arrested by Indian authorities in 2019, is currently serving a life sentence related to the case, which was initially ruled on by a trial court in May 2022. Malik participated in today’s hearing via video link from Tihar Jail in Delhi. The court has ordered his continued virtual presence for future hearings.

The high court had previously issued a notice to Malik on May 29 last year following the NIA’s appeal for the death penalty, which also requested his physical presence in court for subsequent hearings. However, considering Malik’s status as a “very high-risk prisoner,” jail authorities appealed for his virtual appearance, which the court granted.